Day Trading the SP Futures with Initial S/R and the NYSE TICK

For instance, if the market moves up in the first 20 minutes of trading, touches the initial resistance zone, and then turns down, this implies that a good tradable downtrend move is likely to develop.

How strong that new trend becomes is market-dependent. As the market falls, its reaction to each new support zone gives an indication of how weak or strong the new downtrend is. If the market falls to initial support and breaks down through it without a stall or a bounce, it will probably continue down to the next level of support. But, if the market loses downside momentum near the initial support zone, the downtrend may well be over.

When price comes into a resistance or support area, the NYSE TICK is by far the best indicator of what price may do from this point.What is the "TICK"? The TICK is simply the difference between the number of stocks that last traded on an "up-tick" versus the number of stocks that last traded on a "down-tick". When the TICK reaches +1000, the market has reached a short term overbought extreme and the TICK reaches -1000, the market has reached a short term oversold extreme.

When the SP futures make a quick surge to a strong resistance zone, and then loses momentum at or near the zone, while concurrently the TICK registers an extreme high reading (usually over +1000), this sets you up for a high-probability short entry, with a hard stop just above the resistance zone.

These counter-trend trades "fade" (meaning to enter a trade against the trend) the intraday emotional extremes, and may come at the beginning of a new trend - giving you a chance to hit a "home run." More often, however, they become scalp trades that don't last long, sometimes less than a minute. Either way, they are high probability trades if you time your entry well.

It takes a lot of practice to time your entries just right on these trades, and you have to be ready to get out immediately (before yourhard stop is hit) if you sense that your edge has disappeared. It is difficult to sense when the edge (probability of success) of atrade is gone *before* the trade changes from a small gain to a small loss. Practice will help *if* you know what you're looking for.

Most traders believe you have to wait for your hard stops to be hit before you can know that a trade's edge is gone. This may be true for most traders, but it doesn't have to be true for you.

Mike Reed is author of TradeStalker's RBI Trader's Updates. Mike has been trading the Market for 23 years. When he got his start as a trader, Mike was plotting prices on paper tape as the internet had not yet been "born" as we know it today. Years of experience have really given him a feel for the Market action. His support and resistance numbers have been published on the internet since 1996. He has a wide readership that includes day traders, floor traders, locals and hedge fund managers. His nightly support and resistance zones are specific and incredibly accurate. He offers an unlimited free trial of his nightly TradeStalker RBI Trader's Updates.http://www.TradeStalker.com

Merck Investors Can Sleep Easier (Not Easy) DailyFinance By Brian Orelli, The Motley Fool Posted 3:34PM 02/06/12 Investing Merck (NYS: MRK) said today that its insomnia drug suvorexant had passed two phase 3 trials, putting it on track for an FDA filing this year. But that doesn't mean investors can sleep ... and more »

Delaware Investments Tops "Barron's Fund Families Report" for 2011 MarketWatch (press release) PHILADELPHIA, Feb 06, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Delaware Investments, a member of Macquarie Group, is ranked first in the "Barron's Fund Families Report" for 2011, according to the annual Barron's ranking. In the publication's Feb. and more »

Investments for Income Lovers Motley Fool With interest rates at historical lows, folks are having a hard time squeezing any meaningful income out of their investments. While you don't want to go out too far on a limb in search of higher yields, there are some steps you can take to boost your ... and more »

USA TODAY

3 Dow Stocks That Jumped in a Down Market DailyFinance By Dan Caplinger, The Motley Fool Posted 7:06PM 02/06/12 Investing The stock market may have been down today, but things could have been worse. After falling nearly 70 points in early trading, the Dow Jones Industrials (INDEX: ^DJI) recovered to finish ... Investing In The Dogs Of The DowSeeking Alpha all 201 news articles »

Your Most Important Investing Decision of the Next 10 Years TheStreet.com And these are some of the most boring companies you can think of -- real-state investment trusts (REITs), pipeline operators and cigarette makers. But they all have one thing in common. As the chief investment strategist behind High-Yield Investing, ... and more »

Ask the Experts: What looks attractive for investors? Kansas City Star By CLAUDIA BUCK With the economy starting to perk up, investors are wondering where they should be looking next. Here with some recommendations is Glenn Kenes, managing director of investments with Barber-Kenes Capital Management Group in Auburn, ... and more »

J.D. Power and Associates Recognizes Merrill Edge(R) Call Centers for Customer ... MarketWatch (press release) For customers who prefer to invest on their own, Merrill Edge provides an online self-directed investing platform, with robust tools and resources to help them make informed investment decisions. "This designation acknowledges the strong commitment ... and more »

Investing mistakes even the pros make Sydney Morning Herald The best investors learn from their mistakes over time. And because I've made plenty of mistakes during my career, I'll optimistically say that means I've had lots of room for personal growth. Lucky you, then, for being able to learn from some of the ... and more »

TD Ameritrade Investor Poll: Younger Investors More Likely to Invest "More" in ... MarketWatch (press release) OMAHA, Neb., Feb 06, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The European debt crisis, US unemployment, the housing market, and political uncertainty - a laundry list of issues that may be causing investors to think more cautiously about their financial futures. and more »

Freedom Investing 2012 Forbes I've been discussing foreign freedom investing for a decade now. In the spring of 2010, I used the term “Ring-of-Fire” to describe countries with a high debt and deficit and suggested avoiding them. A year later, I revisited that advice and counseled ... and more »