Thursday, April 30, 2015

April 30. Wading back in with some Bruised and Battered IPOS

With the market selling off my plan to go to cash had worked.  Now to wade back in.   I want the stocks that had some momo out of the gate but suffered heavy selling. IPOS often fit the bill.  Some of my most profitable trades have been the IPOs that stumbled after a big rush of enthusiasm.  ADRO and ETSY fit the bill  both are about at 50% of the first week open to close range. 

ADRO:
25.40
Stop close < 25


ETSY:
22.77
Stop Close < 22. This went below the 22 point but it rallied back and thus I was somewhat encouraged.


VLTC:
This one's a wild sonna  bitch.

Hit the first entry 9.42 trailing stop hit at 9.99
Trade 2. 11.18 Stopped 10.82 on a wicked washout.  

   I was feeling pretty good after the first one.  Second one reminds me to stay humble and stay small size on this type of stock.

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

April 28

I had planned to be completely out of the market but sometime money is just gift wrapped for you.  

YOD was up this morning as it gapped up over 20% on news that its Video service would be on trains in China. There is no need to go into the specifics here but based on my prior research I understood who would be pumping this move and that it would not lead  to lasting moves or a break away gap.   So I went short.

  2.72 and 2.61  YOD ultimately collapsed and I covered at $2.20 


Monday, April 27, 2015

April 27 Straight Cash.

I did something this morning that I haven't done in a very long time... end the day with no positions.  I closed everything out: MRGE 5(.32), MVIS 3.65, EBIX 30.08, SQNM (4.56), FEYE (44.56), KRNT (15.05), LBIO (12.15), VSLR (14.46), AXN (1.66)

I did so because I have some  things I need to take care of and also the market monitor was showing signs of red lining with the number of stocks hitting 50% gains in a month exceeding 20.

So peace out.

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Remainder of weeks trades.

Closed ENZN:
Entry: 1.41
Exit 1: 1.44 (40%
Exit 2 1.81  (60%)

I had a very good battle plan on ENZN,  I bought the Fishhook setup.  Although the post market enthusiasm did not hold over the night and there was a fade.  This trade worked wonderfully.

 I did several things well.  First because this did not immediately take off, I felt it prudent to somewhat reduce my position size so that I could let the position go slightly against me without risk to my account.  The strategy worked as ENZN pulled back to the breakout point and then found a base.  In the afternoon it started ticking up. found a base and in the afternoon, it took off.  

TAKE Aways

  • Cutting position size can make all the difference between staying in a trade and getting stopped out
  • Plan the trade: I was not shaken on the pull back as I understood It was back testing the breakout point, that point held rather quickly and then this was range bound for several hours before exploding 
  • Don't be greedy,
    • I was looking for 1.95 but I saw 1.85 hold several attempts.  At that point I decided it was better to take profits than hold out for top dollar.  
    • HOD was 1.86, when it breaks a .05 and can't keep going that can be the sign of a top.
    • I got out .05 from the top.  I'll take that.
  • Understand what you are trading. 
    • ENZN was moving because Icahn has  small ownership interest and VLTC was up 1200% or something obscene. 
    • While I knew that would get this motion if it fishhooked, I had no illusions that this stock is capable of pulling a move like that and here's why:
      • Float size over 43 Mill
      • Options (allow hedging, reducing likelihood of short squeeze) 
      • The company has discontinued operations and is only making money on licensing of past drugs.  In other words, it is basically an annuity.  Not really much sex appeal.

VSLR:
Increased position size following successful back test of last weeks close.  I also like VSLR has now had a ATH weekly close.

Size added at 14.17


EBIX: This would be more consistent with a momo burst It has a pull back.  Notice how the RSI has held 50 on the pull back and popped back up.

On the weekly not quite a W1 B/o but close enough that a momo burst could take it there.  RSI is still very strong so I gave it a go.

Entry: 29.89
MVIS:
Although I got shaken out earlier with  a smaller position lower,  I am happy to buy a bigger position higher.  5 weeks after the its high its coming back that . The fact that this has popped back up says there is a lot of strength here.

Entry: 3.58


LBIO:
Similar to 3 weeks ago LBIO had a washout type move to the 12 week avg.  On both occasions they recovered immediately on the daily.

Entry 12.30

DPLO:
Took out the high for a w1 breakout out.
Entry: $34.72
APRIL 23, no trades

April 24:
There are some yellow flags forming and its prudent to take defense of measures.  I reduced some size and took some profits.

DPLO I not only got a gap on an upgrade but also a continuation move.  That said I'm not a big fan of gaps (on analyst upgrades) and as much like the weekly chart, it seems prudent to take profits.

Sold: 36.25 
KRNT:
I had previously increased my position on the 300 pt down day on this one, I was hopeful for a big rebound and a test of 16.  Although I'm up KRNT is range bound here. I need to start thinking of defense based on a few yellow flags on the over all markets.  Cutting my position size  in a thin stock is  a decent first step.

Entry: 14.69
Entry 2:  14.56
Exit: 14.85


Tuesday, April 21, 2015

April 21,

BCLI looked good pre-market on some news. But news plays always tends to be a risk.  I thought the gap fill yesterday might enable this to go higher today.  I bought 4.90s and sold at parity for the day. Fortunately I bought small because I knew what the risk for this trade was.


Sold the WUBA on the Gap.  I don't like continuation gaps and this one did. S This one worked extremely well from my entry a day later.

Entry 68.34
Exit. 72.82

FEYE:
PANW and CYBR have had great runs.  So here's another cyber security stock this looks like it is just getting going on a weekly.  The 50 rbi held that should be support.

VLTC:
Not my traditional set up or trade plan but this one is crazy. But what the hell I wanted in on the crazy for S's and G's.   This was a gambling but in now way does that diminish from the gains I made. The bank don't care. Just don't do it again.

ENZN: This is another Ichan play, but look at that fishhook.  I went in large at 1.41 big volume came in and this about to get crazy.


Monday, April 20, 2015

April 20, WUBA,

Today's Trades:

WUBA was one I targeted for a fishhook on Friday but the market was down big and I was getting stopped out all day.   I loved seeing the back test of the b/o work today so I bought.




Thursday, April 16, 2015

April 16 NHTC, VSLR, VLRS, NDRM, BCLI,

NHTC:
An attempted M/r  dip buy.  The only thing I like about these types of trades is that you know very quickly whether you win or lose.  This one I lost.

 I saw this come down $4 or so and appear to try  to put in a bottom and bounced a bit until it didn't  I was smart enough to know that this trade had significant risk so I bought it small with a tight stop.   If it worked I could have caught a several $ reversal against a small loss. This one didn't and I I took a small loss -.70  which was a .25% of my equity.


It will be interesting to see if the Weekly b/o point acts as support.


NDRM:
I nibbled in yesterday and there was more selling today which let me add to the position. 
Added more at 14.01 today.  That 4 week avg. has held the close very well and is slowly rising. I'm looking for support to form in this range. 


BCLI:
2 days of gap hold and now it pushes higher.  Technically not a "fishhook" as I've defined it but the idea is the same.

Entry: 5.24
On the weekly, RSI is the highest it has been since this had its parabolic move.  Highest weekly close and volume.  Something appears to be working here.




THE VLRS FOR  VSLR SWAP!

I had Mexican Airline,  VLRS Which rallied back to the breakout point after an initial rejection.  What bothered me is that it wasn't able to push higher  even with an upgrade and a $22 price target today.  I see that as weakness.

This was a basically a break-even trade for me.
Exit: 11.89



So I'll flip to something that is showing a bit more power.
Entry  14.15


Wednesday, April 15, 2015

April 15


CORT:
I haven't been overly thrilled with this one as there hasn't been much push following the 6.00 breakout.  I thought I would sell this for a small gain and raise cash rather than wait around. I think this could be a decent entry but needs a sell off first or some more sideways action.

Entry: 6.25-.28
Exit: 6.34

MVIS:
I kept hoping this would find some traction as it is on a nice monthly breakout its like a drip.   At some point you just have to call it and my stop was hit.  I'd look for a bounce at the 10Week but thats still quite a bit lower.  I tried to dip buy but on small shares and this was more like a drip so let's call it a day.

Enter: 3.57
Exit: 3.10

Bought:
NDRM pulled back today but a 6 week, b/o has still held.  I decided to wade in on this pull back although it is not my traditional breakout buy, I waded in @ 14.75.
NDRM is presenting a paper at a national conference and since the PR talked about initial positive results, its a fair assumption that the results will be positive.  From a chart perspective I like how the Weekly 4 has held the closings and the weekly 10  has held the lows.  This stock is also a low float and has shown that it what it is capable of in December.



Tuesday, April 14, 2015

April 14, Trades, Closed GBSN, AMRN, Opened AXN, MIFI

GBSN:
Got off to a good start.  Bought the close yesterday, 4.21 Sold the opening rush. 4.57 for a 8.5% gain


AMRN: I took this trade as it looked like it was swinging back around turns out it dropped.  I played this tight and its a good loss as I was able to take a large position  with only .5% risk to my portfolio value.  Sometimes they work, this one didn't

ENTRY: 2.53
EXIT: 2.42

AXN: Got a nice burst today giving it a move to the weekly breakout.  This is the number 2 stock in terms of momentum -- It's one that if it goes, it has already shown what it is capable of.  I've been in since the 1.83 and have added at 191., 1.98-99.

MIFI:
Weekly breakout, which takes out highest weekly close.
Entry : 5.65

Monday, April 13, 2015

April 13 and APRIL 9 TRADES

The Markets had a big push off the opening and then a drop all day.



The way market opened it looked Like I was going to have a very good day.  I had gaps in AXN (which I knew would fade but a .15 move is not my play)  My Slingshot, XON made a big push, And My IPO breakout KNRT pushed its breakout again as well.  Then the broader market selling took over.  Most of my existing positions closed were slightly up  on the day  but a few were marginally lower. 

Seeing the early action I took my first alert with SQNM. 

SQNM:
Nice expansion on both daily and weekly.
Breakout MACDs  and RSI not over June 14 highs but the RSI looks like it is getting to the power zone in a hurry.  I felt that this presented a relatively low risk entry her.
Entry: 4.26
Stop: 4.02

KONE:
This was a speculative trade.  Chinese and low float.   I took it as the Fishhook was valid, Although the signal was decent, I didn't have a ton of confidence so I took it small -- a good decision because this faded hard. I didn't see it coming in as much as it ultimately did but I drew my battle line and got out at that point.

Entry: 6.67
Stop:  6.02


IFON:
IFON had a W1 breakout last week.  I like that it retested the b.o. point and then bounced back.  Last year it had a move out of this type of setup that took it from 1.50 to $4.50 in 9 weeks.   The RSI is right at the cup of those levels and the initial breakout volume was higher so maybe ...

Entry: $2.88

GBSN:
I bought this one towards the close. The RSI held the 50 like it did on the last power move.  This one also takes back the weekly closing high
4.21
3.85

Most of the crowd playing this stock is looking at the 5 minute charts but the weekly puts it into perspective. This latest bounce shows the momentum in this stock and we have an all time RSI and Fast MACD high. In other words, it is setup for higher prices, but this will be a battle field.  I like the long side as the table is still tilted in the bulls favor in the bigger picture.
Friday's Trades:
KRNT:
I like the recent IPO trade This one had nice expansion for the breakout.  Today (Monday April 13) it rallied hard and then faded.  On this type of trade I'm going to accept that as not overtly bearish. This is thin, so I would not expect this to just go.  I want to see the 14 hold and I expect it to be tested.

Stop 13.5

W.
Entry: 33.10
Closed: 33.44

I've been plagued by the breakout backtest. In this particular stock the initial breakout buy nearly failed and dropped pretty hard but ultimately held my stop and showed up with some strength.  The next day it did it again. Finally, on the third day it runs to about 35.30 and starts coming back in.  I decide, Hey I'm not going to go negative on this one I'll just put a stop at 33.50 and hold.  sure enough I get stopped out.

This has been a problem for me as I'm transiting from the daily momo burst trades to weekly breakouts. On the momo burst you sell the initial burst and don't let it come back. I'm seeing that on a  weekly to make the big gains you have to let that breakout test occur and hold the initial stop through week 2.

Just over the past month I've had a number of fantastic gains slip to average trades by allowing myself to get shook out on the pull back:

  • ADXS (in at 13.90, April 1, out 15.38 April 7, trading now at 20.59--
    •  actually my first entry was at 10.69 March 7 and  sold at 12.01 
  • NHTC (in 18.60,  out 19.90, 2 days later 23.73), 
  • REPH 6.4 (March  16) Out 7.42  (March 18  it hit 14.50 today).

I have a good feeling that W will be one of those types of stocks. I guess the good news is that I'm getting into the right stocks. Now Just to stay on the bull a bit longer.



Wednesday, April 8, 2015

April 8 trades

First the positions closed:

RGLS:
After sleeping on this one I realized I had just bought a gap on decent news WITHIN  a flag.  That's not usually a recipe for break away gap.  I believe that my eagerness was a mistake for my normal trading strategy and decided that it was best to get out.  Of course, most mistakes do not wind up in the win column but this one did.

Entry:  17.60
Exit:  18.30
NHTC:
I nailed a nice breakout here but I sold as it came it. This is the type of decision I struggle with. Do I let it consolidate and come in a bit and attempt to capture a bigger move or sell the rip?

Entry: 18.65
Exit 1: 19.66
Exit 2:  19.90

CAPN:
 I nailed an entry and was up over 15% and yet I take a loss. What did I do wrong here?  I suppose I got greedy looking at the weekly and I should have sold the the gap.  My refusal to take the profit was due to the fact that I put small size on this trade.  As it turned out that saved me from a significant loss.  And the exit. we'll I had the wrong handle on my stop and saw the price below where I thought I would be stopped out.  Enter,  oh shit moment.  So I sold.

Entry 7.18 avg
Exit:  6.35.  

New Buys:
CORT
I was early on this one last week and I got hit with a fade.  I go the signal in a 1,2,3 go weekly pattern today and I took it.  T

Entry: $6.26

XON:
Here's a sling shot trade setup.  A high momo stock pulled back to the 10 week and bouncing. This proved to be a good entry today.

Entry: 41.93
AMRN:
Nice expansion on the weekly and daily momo burst.  I feel this presents a low risk entry.

Entry: 2.53
Stop 2.42


TYLS:
I've been waiting on this one for weeks and today I got the 1,2,3 go weekly signal.

Entry: 16.73


Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Trade Journal April 7.

Today I booked a bunch of profit and closed a few positions to manage risk.  

RAD:
Nothing against this chart but with earnings on deck and only a small gain, this was not a binary risk I want to take.  Closing it out for small change.

Entry: 8.65
Exit 1: (20% reduce position size) 8.73
Exit 2. 8.78 +1.5%

LBIO:
The gas is coming out of this one a bit.  a  Couple of moves to the upside failed.  I decided to ring the register as this one looks like it needs some rest before going higher.

Entry:  11.09
Exit: 12.65  +14%


ADXS:
The Week 2 move has been less than impressive.  Since the thrust has stalled in week 2, I'll get out with a decent gain and look for a retest of the b/o.

Entry: 13.90
Exit 15.38  +10.6%

VLTC:
This was a high risk trade given my entry, I was sized small with the plan of adding if it got going.  It never did although I thought there was a chance that this could have blown the doors off on a short squeeze but the thrust couldn't keep the momo going.
Entry: 4.44
Exit: 3.95 

MRGE:
I normally do not sell the first day breakout.  But I took a partial here. MRGE exceeded my expectations  

NEW BUY:
RGLS:
Entry 17.60, A.H.  . I need to be a bit more patient on news driven trades.  My thought was that the news gets this running out of this Flag.  Small position.