Base/Accumulation Phase

Let’s start by understanding why a base forms. When a stock is basing, the supply and demand are almost in balance. For a growth stock, that is usually a period of low interest in the stock. There are enough trapped holders of the stock who will sell on any half-decent bounce, preventing the stock from gaining any momentum to the upside. The future prospects aren't deteriorating, so the stock can’t break lower either. Just a whole lot of nothingness.

Here is an example of such a base in ROKU. The base spanned over 4 years:

Now, let’s assume the company's fundamentals start improving. Institutions are usually the first to pay attention to them. The reason is that they have plenty of cash to allocate, and a quiet base allows for that silent accumulation before the movement begins.

Most retail traders during this base lose conviction due to the lack of movement, and most trapped traders from the past sell any bounces, allowing the stock to transfer from themselves to the accumulating institutions. This carries on until the supply starts to dwindle significantly.

For example, in the case of ROKU, fundamentals began to improve significantly heading into 2025. Yet, given all the supply trapped from the 2021 period, ROKU could not break out of the base until 2026, as institutions accumulated and trapped traders sold. I doubt retail even remembered that ROKU existed during this period.

First Impulse Higher

Once the supply has dried up, the overwhelming demand from improving fundamentals or a catalyst usually breaks the stock out of its base.

The institutions that were active in the base are often still accumulating on the way up, but they’re joined by breakout momentum traders along with the trapped shorts from the base that are now forced to close their shorts. Retail, as is often the case, is reluctant to buy in this phase until it's too late, given that the stock has been out of focus for a long time. In either case, retail participation in this first stage is muted.

If you look at the ROKU chart above, you will see that we are in the First Impulse Higher phase.

First Consolidation Phase

As the initial impulse starts to die down due to the lack of new participants entering, we enter a consolidation stage. Let’s look at who is active during this period.

We have momentum traders who will start taking profits once momentum stalls, along with late retail traders who often enter towards the end of the first impulse and panic-sell their positions at this stage. The institutions also lighten their positions a little at this stage, but they usually wait for the big finale afterward.

On the other side of the equation are the swing traders that re-enter or add to their positions at this stage and are joined by trend followers as soon as we break out of the consolidation. Aka this is the stage where I play. Taking shares from first sellers in an established trend.

An example of such a consolidation would be what’s going on in INTC right now:

Second Impulse Higher

Once price breaks out of the consolidation, as supply from initial momentum sellers and retail starts to die down, trend followers join the party along with momentum traders. Momentum traders are always present when there is any sign of movement. This is also the stage when option players are more involved, and gamma effects can exacerbate a move.

Unfortunately, it’s also the stage that attracts retail attention, since they start to realize how long this stock has been running, and suddenly it’s in every newspaper and on every TV channel. The stories around the stock also make retail feel that the move has just started and is not nearing its end. An example would be MU in May and June.

By this time, the sentiment around the stock becomes one-sided. Participation is high, and liquidity is abundant. It’s the perfect environment for the original accumulators, aka the institutions, to start distributing.

Trend End

This is where institutions, trend followers, and momentum traders are offloading their shares to retail players who are late to the party. Retail enthusiasm and one-sided sentiment allow retail to hold up prices for some time, creating a topping base.

However, sooner or later, supply overwhelms demand, and a downtrend begins. Here is an example of the topping base in ROKU in 2021 that led to the ensuing downtrend:

As you can see above, a higher-timeframe trend usually involves two phases, since distribution can rarely be achieved efficiently without retail involvement, and the period from improving to stabilizing fundamentals typically spans 5-6 quarters of earnings. Hopefully this helps you navigate your role when trading such trends and avoid getting trapped in the late stages of a move.

• Index Structure on hourly timeframes

• Key intraday levels for QQQ, SPY, and SOXX

• Scalping Gameplan for the day

• Intraday trading plan for Gold

• Individual Scalp Setups

Here are the timestamps for the video:

• 00:00 Market Context and QQQ Levels

• 01:52 SPY Levels

• 02:22 Scalp Gameplan

• 03:03 NQ and ES Levels

• 04:31 SOXX Levels

• 05:05 GOLD Levels

• 05:54 Scalp Setups

Today’s levels summary:

• QQQ

  • Between 704-710 => Neutral

  • Bullish above 710 => 713, 716

  • Bearish below 704 => 701, 698

Read more

• Index Structure on hourly timeframes

• Key intraday levels for QQQ, SPY, and SOXX

• Scalping Gameplan for the day

• Intraday trading plan for Gold

• Individual Scalp Setups

Here are the timestamps for the video:

• 00:00 Market Context and QQQ Levels

• 04:28 SPY Levels

• 05:13 Scalp Gameplan

• 05:35 NQ and ES Levels

• 07:37 SOXX Levels

• 08:31 GOLD Levels

• 09:07 Scalp Setups

Today’s levels summary:

• QQQ

  • Between 710-704 => Neutral

  • Bullish above 710 => 713, 716

  • Bearish below 704 => 701, 698

Read more

• Index Structure on hourly timeframes

• Key intraday levels for QQQ, SPY, and SOXX

• Scalping Gameplan for the day

• Intraday trading plan for Gold

• Individual Scalp Setups

Here are the timestamps for the video:

• 00:00 Market Context and QQQ Levels

• 02:51 SPY Levels

• 04:10 Scalp Gameplan

• 04:29 NQ and ES Levels

• 05:44 SOXX Levels

• 06:22 GOLD Levels

• 06:54 Scalp Setups

Today’s levels summary:

• QQQ

  • Between 713-719 => Neutral

  • Bullish above 719 => 722, 725

  • Bearish below 713 => 710, 707

Read more

• Index Structure on hourly timeframes

• Key intraday levels for QQQ, SPY, and SOXX

• Scalping Gameplan for the day

• Intraday trading plan for Gold

• Individual Scalp Setups

Here are the timestamps for the video:

• 00:00 Market Context and QQQ Levels

• 02:26 SPY Levels

• 03:25 Scalp Gameplan

• 04:01 NQ and ES Levels

• 05:07 SOXX Levels

• 05:40 GOLD Levels

• 06:28 Individual Scalp Setups

Today’s levels summary:

• QQQ

  • Between 713-722 => Neutral

  • Bullish above 722 => 725, 728

  • Bearish below 713 => 710, 707

Read more

• Index Structure on Monthly, Weekly, and Daily Timeframes

• Key weekly and daily levels for QQQ, SPY, and SOXX

• Key levels for ES and NQ

• Gold larger timeframe structure

• Swings Setups on Radar

Here are the timestamps for the video:

• 00:00 Index Structures

• 04:15 Forward Expectations

• 04:51 QQQ and SPY Weekly Levels

• 05:36 High Beta Names Structure

• 08:01 Bond Market Scenario

• 09:54 NQ and ES Levels

• 11:21 SOXX Weekly Levels

• 14:08 GOLD and BTC Structures

• 15:43 OIL Structure

• 16:30 Sector Extensions

Key Weekly Levels:

• QQQ

  • Between 634-682 => Neutral

  • Bullish above 682 => 694, 706, 718, 730, 742

  • Bearish below 634 => 622, 610

Read more

• Index Structure on hourly timeframes

• Key intraday levels for QQQ, SPY, and SOXX

• Scalping Gameplan for the day

• Intraday trading plan for Gold

• Individual Scalp Setups

Here are the timestamps for the video:

• 00:00 Market Context and QQQ Levels

• 02:31 SPY Levels

• 03:19 Scalp Gameplan

• 03:42 NQ and ES Levels

• 05:06 SOXX Levels

• 05:32 GOLD Levels

Today’s levels summary:

• QQQ

  • Between 716-722 => Neutral

  • Bullish above 722 => 725, 728

  • Bearish below 716 => 713, 710

Read more

• Index Structure on hourly timeframes

• Key intraday levels for QQQ, SPY, and SOXX

• Scalping Gameplan for the day

• Intraday trading plan for Gold

• Individual Scalp Setups

Here are the timestamps for the video:

• 00:00 Market Context and QQQ Levels

• 02:27 SPY Levels

• 02:48 Scalp Gameplan

• 03:52 NQ and ES Levels

• 04:58 SOXX Levels

• 05:28 GOLD Levels

Today’s levels summary:

• QQQ

  • Between 707-713 => Neutral

  • Bullish above 713 => 716, 719, 722

  • Bearish below 707 => 704, 701

Read more

Indices serve as the primary touch point for most traders. While red folder events like FOMC, CPI/PPI and NFP remain the most important markers from trader and investor sentiment.

Rightfully so. The relations between news event and stock movement not only create trading opportunities, but also provide insight into potential future moves of the markets.

While this may be true, it seems that the Bond market is often left in the shadows; even for most speculators who may pay attention to their activity. Though its curious that when we discuss the relationship between the market performance and bonds, that many may not fully understand how they may influence one another.

The typical view is Bonds are boring. But I assure you, developing a prowess around bonds certainly is not. Theres much to be said about the pressures they can put on the market. As we will soon find out…….

At the time of this writing, 10-year yields (10Y) have a rather bullish stature. They have been stacking solid consolidated above all weekly moving averages since March. And on larger time frames, they have an inside 12m candle, which is strengthened by the fact that the prior 4 years have created a strong compression in the upper range of 2023’s 12m candle. Its posture is one of positive momentum. And, one would expect that the 10yrs are geared up for at least expansion outside of the 2025, at the very least, some time soon.

But why do 10Y actually matter? What could this mean for the markets and overall investor outlook? But most of all WHY do bond yields move to begin with?

Those are fundamental questions to ask. And as we will soon find out, it is that last question that remains the most poignant.

To be clear, off the bat; Bonds and stocks do not just have a natural inverse relationship, as we will soon discuss. There are interconnected complexities one must understand. Perhaps in doing so, we can garner an understanding of what our next year may look like.

BONDS AND THE TREASURY

Think of a bond as debt. Someone needs money, you lend it to them, and they agree to pay you back under a set of agreed-upon terms. When we talk about U.S. Bond 10Years we are specifically talking about debt issued by the United States government. When US Government spending exceeds the revenue coming in, the government needs to borrow the difference. The Treasury issues securities that investors can purchase; thus the purchaser is effectively lending money to the U.S. government. In return, the government promises payments according to the terms of the security (for example, over a 2Y, 5Y or 10Y term).

Notably, treasuries can be bought and sold between investors throughout the maturation of the term. And this is where yields enter the equation.

YIELDS V BOND PRICES

This is perhaps the most important relationship to understand from the outset:

Bond prices and bond yields move inversely. Read that again. Its important

When investors buy Treasuries, increased demand pushes prices higher. As their prices rise, the yield available to a new buyer falls. When investors sell Treasuries, the opposite occurs. Prices fall and yields rise.

Treasury buying = Price UP = Yield DOWN

Treasury selling = Price DOWN = Yield UP

As a basic example, imagine a Treasury originally costs $1,000 and pays $40 per year, giving it a 4% return.

Now imagine investors really want that Treasury and bid its price up to $1,100. The Treasury still only pays $40 per year, but the new buyer has to pay $1,100 to get it. That $40 now represents only about 3.6% of what they paid. Price went up, yield went down.

Now reverse it. If investors are selling Treasuries and the price falls to $900, a new buyer still receives the same $40 payment, but only had to pay $900 to get it. That works out to roughly 4.4%. Price went down, yield went up.

This is the inverse relationship between bond prices and yields. So when US10Y moves from 4.20% to 4.40%, we are watching the yield rise, which means Treasury prices have moved lower.

What sets the market prices, you ask? Good question. Its another important one

INFLATION & INVESTORS

Inflation is particularly important to a bond investor because a Treasury promises future dollars, not what those dollars will eventually be able to buy.

Imagine lending money for ten years at a 4% yield while inflation remains around 2%. You’ll return 2% above inflation. Now imagine lending at the same 4% while inflation is expected to remain around 6%. Why on earth would someone do that?

This is why bond investors care enormously about future inflation expectations.

CPI - our beloved red folder event - gives markets information about inflation, and expectations are EVERYTHING.

If CPI is expected at 3.0% and comes in at 3.0%, the market has learned relatively little. If CPI is expected at 3.0% and arrives at 3.7%, the market has received new information. Inflation is hotter than anticipated.

This matters to someone lending money for ten years. If inflation is going to be higher than previously expected, the dollars they receive from that Treasury in the future will have less purchasing power. A 4% yield becomes considerably less attractive if inflation is expected to remain near 4% rather than 2%.

Logically, investors will think: If inflation is going to eat away more of my return, I need a higher yield to make lending my money for ten years worthwhile.

Investors become less willing to own those as a result and begin selling them.

Remember what we just learned:

Treasury selling = Price DOWN = Yield UP

As the price of those existing Treasuries falls, the yield available to someone buying them at that cheaper price rises. In other words, the market itself adjusts until investors are receiving greater compensation for the inflation risk they believe they are taking.

But inflation doesn’t act alone…Because CPI doesn’t just change what investors think about inflation. It changes what they think the Federal Reserve might do about it. And that expectation can create an entirely different pressure on bond yields.…..

Enter the man in the coloured tie, and his committee : the Fed.

THE FED: RATES & BONDS

If youre a trader, you know that FOMC announcements are big days in the markets. Most know that they “set the interest rate” at each of these FOMC announcements , though if we take that statement at face value, much of the importance can be missed

To be clear, the Fed does not set the 2-year, 5-year, 10-year or 30-year Treasury yields. What they do set is a target range for the Federal Funds Rate, which is the overnight interest rate banks and other eligible institutions charge one another to lend reserve balances. Treasury yields, on the other hand, are determined by the market. and as we just learned, these markets care deeply about what the Fed may do regarding the economic factors at hand (ie, inflation).

Wheres the connection then? Expectations.

The bond market is constantly pricing what it believes the Fed will do next. Suppose CPI comes in considerably hotter than expected. Investors may now believe the Fed has less room to cut rates, causing Treasury yields to react immediately. The Fed hasn’t moved a thing, but the bond market has. This is particularly important for the 2Y, which is heavily influenced by expectations for Fed policy over the next few years. The 10Y is influenced by those expectations too, but also has to account for longer-term inflation and economic growth.

The interactions between Bonds, expectations and the Fed can also create some interesting scenarios. Suppose inflation remains stubbornly high, yet the Fed cuts rates anyway. Rather than celebrating the cut, 10Y investors may worry the Fed is easing too aggressively and demand a higher yield to compensate for future inflation risk.

Fed Funds Rate DOWN. 10Y yield UP.

As the market is always a forward looking mechanism, it prices what investors believe the Fed, inflation and the economy could mean for the future.

Once again, that part is very, very important

Phase 2 - BRIDGING STOCKS AND BONDS

Before we bring stocks into the equation, let’s make sure we are crystal clear on what we have established so far. If nothing else from the first section sticks, these points should:

• A Treasury is debt. Buying one means you are lending money to the U.S. government.

• Bond prices and yields move inversely. Treasury buying pushes prices UP and yields DOWN. Treasury selling pushes prices DOWN and yields UP.

• US10Y is the yield, not the bond price. If US10Y moves from 4.2% to 4.4%, yields have risen and Treasury prices have fallen.

• Inflation matters because it eats into purchasing power. If investors expect more inflation, they may demand a higher yield

• The Fed does not set the 10Y. It sets a target range for the Federal Funds Rate, an overnight interest rate. Treasury yields are priced by the market.

• Expectations move bonds before the Fed does. CPI, employment, growth and other economic information can change what investors believe the Fed will do next, causing yields to move immediately.

• The 2Y and 10Y don’t tell us exactly the same thing. The 2Y is particularly sensitive to expectations for Fed policy, while the 10Y incorporates a broader outlook for rates, inflation and economic growth.

Understanding the information above now gives us our layup to bring it all together. How do bonds connect or influence stocks? Let the fun begin.

HOW BONDS CAN PUT PRESSURE ON STOCKS

On the most basic of levels, its simple to understand that Treasuries compete with stocks for an investor’s money. What investors are doing when determining where to deploy their capital, is trying to optimize their return. Time and risk exposure both play a factor in this.

Imagine the 10Y is yielding just 1%. Gross. For an investor looking for a meaningful return, taking on the additional risk of stocks may look considerably more attractive.

Now imagine the 10Y is yielding 5%. Suddenly, an investor can earn a meaningful return lending money to the U.S. government. If they expect a stock to return 7%, they now have to ask themselves whether the additional risk is really worth that extra potential return. This is typically called Equity Risk Premium (is the extra return from stocks worth the extra risk compared with Treasuries?)

In other words, stocks now have more competition for investor capital. As the return available from relatively low-risk assets increases, investors can demand greater compensation before accepting the additional risk of equities.

In another scenario, we can use the example of 2 companies.

• Company A is an established business making large profits today. Investors expect it to continue producing those profits over the coming years.

• Company B is a rapidly growing technology company. It makes relatively little money today, but investors believe it could produce enormous profits ten years from now.

Now imagine Treasury yields suddenly move from 1% to 5%. The interest and willingness to invest and wait for Company B to show return has changed considerably since investors can now earn around 5% from relatively low-risk government debt today. Thus, it makes them less willing to pay enormous prices today for profits that may not arrive for another ten years.

Company A is affected as well, but much more of its expected economic value is arriving in the nearer future. Company B’s value depends much more heavily on what happens years down the road. Again - Expectations.

This is the basic idea behind future cash flows.

Time Value of Money

A dollar received ten years from now is not worth the same as a dollar received today because money available today can be invested and earn a return. As available interest rates rise, the value we place today on money expected far into the future generally falls. Time Value of Money = How much are future dollars/profits worth to me today, given the return I could earn elsewhere?

The further into the future a company’s expected profits sit, the more sensitive its valuation can be to changes in interest rates.

This is one reason rapidly rising Treasury yields can create particular pressure on high-growth technology companies. Higher yields can effectively hit these stocks from two directions: Treasuries become a more attractive alternative for investor capital, while distant future profits become less valuable in today’s terms.

STOCK MOVEMENT WITH BONDS

Right out of the gate, the key concept to keep in mind here is; Bonds and Stocks don’t have an inverse relationship. And they dont mirror each other, either. The same movement in 10Years can mean very different things, and can impact stocks in total opposite ways.

This brings us back to our most important question we asked at the start of the article - Why are bonds moving? - is the real question

The above table is showing the different relationships stock and bond movements may have. In their most simple terms. Here is a brief description of each

A) If employment, consumer spending and economic growth all come in stronger than expected. Investors believe the economy is healthier than previously believed and that the Fed has less reason to cut rates aggressively. Treasury yields may rise. At the same time, stronger economic growth can improve expectations for corporate profits. Stocks can therefore rise alongside yields.

B) In complete contrast, suppose the 10Y rises the exact same amount, but this time CPI has come in much hotter than expected. Investors see that inflation is persistent, and the Fed may remain restrictive for longer. Higher yields now act as a “burden” on the economy and valuations, rather than simply evidence of stronger growth. Yields rise while stocks fall.

C) The same applies when yields decline. If inflation cools while employment and economic growth remain healthy, markets may see more room for the Fed to eventually ease policy without a recession. If you’ve heard the term “soft landing”, this is what its refers to. In this scenario Yields can fall while stocks rise.

D) Again, in contrast, imagine employment suddenly declines, economic data collapses and recession fears surge. Investors may rush toward Treasuries for safety while simultaneously selling risky assets. Treasury prices rise, causing yields to fall. Stocks follow.

Simply put, the WHY, really matters

We began this but talking about the 10-year yield. Lets bring this full circle now, as we now understand that the 10-year yield is the product of an enormous market, which is continuously processing information about inflation, Federal Reserve expectations, employment, economic growth, government borrowing and investor “appetite for risk”.

Phase 3 - Bonds Today

THE U.S. 10Y TODAY

There is currently more going on in the Treasury market than simply speculation over the next Fed decision. We already know that stronger growth, persistent inflation or changing Fed expectations could push the 10Y higher. But there is currently another force worth considering: Treasury supply.

Looking at the larger picture, the United States continues to run substantial fiscal deficits and requires enormous amounts of borrowing to finance them. Through July 2026, the U.S. fiscal-year deficit was roughly $1.8 trillion, while federal debt was approaching $40 trillion.

Large deficits mean the Treasury must issue more debt, and ultimately, that debt needs buyers. If investors are unwilling to absorb that supply at existing yields, Treasury prices may need to fall until the return becomes attractive enough to bring buyers back. We know what happens next: Price DOWN = Yield UP.

Investors may simply demand greater compensation to lend the government money for ten years, particularly as the amount of debt they are being asked to absorb grows.

And that is precisely why the current 10Y setup interests me. The technical chart may be telling us that something is preparing to move. But understanding that move requires considerably more than simply watching the breakout.

So ask yourself, with all we now understand - what core questions should we consider here?

• Is inflation becoming a problem again?

• Is economic growth stronger than expected? Are expectations for Fed policy changing?

• Is the market demanding greater compensation for absorbing government debt?

• Or are several of these pressures occurring at once?

A VITAL CASE STUDY: FRANCE — WHEN THE BOND MARKET STARTS PUSHING BACK

France gives us a fascinating real-world example of how everything we have just learned can have profound effects on an economy. And we’re not talking about some small, obscure economy. France is one of Europe’s largest economies, and has found itself in an increasingly uncomfortable position.

The problem starts relatively simply: France continually spends considerably more than it collects. The European Commission expects its government deficit to remain around 5.1% of GDP in 2026, while government debt is expected to reach roughly 118% of GDP and continue climbing. A deficit means the government has to find the missing money somewhere…You know where this is going. It borrows it.

France expects a total financing requirement of approximately €305.7 billion in 2026, with around €310 billion of medium and long-term government debt issuance planned for the year - That’s a lot of debt that needs buyers.

This is where everything we have learned about bonds comes alive. Concerns surrounding France’s debt, persistent deficits and political ability to actually fix them have increased. Investors don’t necessarily have to stop lending money to France altogether. They can now outright out demand a higher return for lending

French 10-year government yields recently moved above 4.1%, reaching their highest levels since 2008. France already carries an enormous amount of debt. As older, cheaper debt matures, it increasingly needs to be replaced with new debt issued at today’s higher rates. That means more government money gets swallowed by interest payments. France’s interest bill reached approximately €34.5 billion in just the first half of 2026, around 19% higher than a year earlier.

The cost of carrying the debt is growing faster than the economy supporting it.

The bond market didn’t create France’s spending problems. It didn’t create its political gridlock. And it didn’t create its existing debt. But it can make all three considerably more painful.

If confidence deteriorates, investors can demand higher yields. Higher yields increase financing costs. Higher financing costs make the deficit harder to control, and an already difficult fiscal problem becomes harder still.

That is the pressure a bond market can place on an economy. And if it can happen to one of the largest economies in Europe, perhaps suddenly watching what long-term yields are doing doesn’t seem quite so boring, after all.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

We started this discussion with a simple observation: the 10Y looks like it wants to move. If this multi-year compression finally breaks, we now have a much better framework for understanding what that move may actually mean.

We understand that two similar moves in yields can occur for completely different reasons. Behind every meaningful move is a market repricing something: inflation, growth, Fed expectations, risk, government borrowing, or perhaps several of them at once.

France gives us a sobering example of just how powerful those forces can eventually become.

A developed understanding of bonds allows us to make better inferences about current economic conditions, investor sentiment and what the market may be expecting next. Perhaps you don’t need to check the 10Y every hour, or perhaps you decide that reactions in the 2Y are more relevant to your trading strategy. Whatever the case, there is clearly more information buried within the bond market than simply whether yields are up or down.

So, what is going on with the 10Y right now? What is the market pricing? And perhaps most importantly, why is it moving?

I’ll leave that with you.

• Index Structure on hourly timeframes

• Key intraday levels for QQQ, SPY, and SOXX

• Scalping Gameplan for the day

• Intraday trading plan for Gold

• Individual Scalp Setups

Here are the timestamps for the video:

• 00:00 Market Context and QQQ Levels

• 01:56 SPY Levels

• 02:32 Scalp Gameplan

• 03:10 NQ and ES Levels

• 04:25 SOXX Levels

• 04:50 GOLD Levels

• 05:21 Scalp Setups

Today’s levels summary:

• QQQ

  • Between 709-713 => Neutral

  • Bullish above 713 => 716, 719, 722

  • Bearish below 709 => 707, 704

Read more

• Index Structure on hourly timeframes

• Key intraday levels for QQQ, SPY, and SOXX

• Scalping Gameplan for the day

• Intraday trading plan for Gold

• Individual Scalp Setups

Here are the timestamps for the video:

• 00:00 Market Context and QQQ Levels

• 01:24 SPY Levels

• 01:54 NQ and ES Levels

• 02:58 Scalp Gameplan

• 03:34 SOXX Levels

• 04:16 GOLD Levels

• 05:01 Scalp Setups

Today’s levels summary:

• QQQ

  • Between 704-710 => Neutral

  • Bullish above 710 => 713, 716

  • Bearish below 704 => 701, 698

Read more

• Index Structure on hourly timeframes

• Key intraday levels for QQQ, SPY, and SOXX

• Scalping Gameplan for the day

• Intraday trading plan for Gold

• Individual Scalp Setups

Here are the timestamps for the video:

• 00:00 Market Context and QQQ Levels

• 01:24 SPY Levels

• 01:54 NQ and ES Levels

• 02:58 Scalp Gameplan

• 03:34 SOXX Levels

• 04:16 GOLD Levels

• 05:01 Scalp Setups

Today’s levels summary:

• QQQ

  • Between 710-716 => Neutral

  • Bullish above 716 => 719, 722

  • Bearish below 710 => 707, 704

Read more

A young boy was sent by his father to learn the secret of happiness from the wisest man in the world. After a perilous journey across the desert and the mountains, the boy arrives in a palace where the wise man lived. The palace was exquisite and full of life. Elegant artistry adorned every corner of it, and it had interesting people from across the globe.

The boy is finally introduced to the wise man and explains the purpose of his visit. The wise man courteously responds that he needs a little more time before giving the boy his full attention, but assigns him a task in the meantime. He hands him a teaspoon filled with oil and says:

“Walk around my palace and return in two hours, but do not let a single drop of oil spill.”

The boy, completely focused on the spoon, walked around the palace and returned two hours later. The oil was still there.

The wise man asked him, “Did you see the Persian tapestries in the palace? Did you see the beautiful gardens full of exotic fruits? How about the library filled with rare books?”

The boy admitted he had seen none of those things and was focused solely on the oil. So, the wise man sent him back to observe the wonders of the palace.

This time, the boy observed it all and was amazed by the palace's grandeur. However, when he returned, his spoon was empty. The wise man saw him, smiled, and said:

“The secret to happiness is to see all the wonders of the world, and never to forget the drops of oil in the spoon.”

The story is describing balance in life. It’s important to have goals and give them your energy, but one can’t let life slip by at the same time. One still needs to be present and be aware of the magic of life around him. There are far too many people who stay in the mindset that they will start living once they reach a certain goal. However, these people forget that life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans. Life is what’s happening while you’re working on your goal. And if you stay ignorant of it, you will stay ignorant of a big part of your story.

Goals are important, for they give purpose to life. And once we reach a certain goal, there is always going to be another one, for else one would be lost. Hence, the only way to make the most of this life is to have a goal and enjoy the journey. Not to try to skip past the journey to get to the destination.

The ups and downs of the journey are what add depth to the story. Imagine a story in which the hero just gets all he wanted without having to do anything. That would be a pretty lame story, right? The beauty of the story lies in the journey to the goal. Don’t forget to pay attention to it. Don’t wait to start living!

• Index Structure on Monthly, Weekly, and Daily Timeframes

• Key weekly and daily levels for QQQ, SPY, and SOXX

• Key levels for ES and NQ

• Gold larger timeframe structure

• Swings Setups on Radar

Here are the timestamps for the video:

• 00:00 Market Context

• 02:28 QQQ and SPY Weekly Levels

• 04:16 NQ and ES Levels

• 05:37 SOXX Weekly Levels

• 06:31 GOLD Weekly Levels

• 07:44 USOIL Weekly Levels

• 08:33 Weekly Setups and Software/Biotech structures

Key Weekly Levels:

• QQQ

  • Between 634-682 => Neutral

  • Bullish above 682 => 694, 706, 718, 730, 742

  • Bearish below 634 => 622, 610

Read more

• Index Structure on hourly timeframes

• Key intraday levels for QQQ, SPY, and SOXX

• Scalping Gameplan for the day

• Intraday trading plan for Gold

• Individual Scalp Setups

Here are the timestamps for the video:

• 00:00 Market Context and QQQ Levels

• 02:02 SPY Levels

• 02:35 Scalp Gameplan

• 03:26 NQ and ES Levels

• 04:34 SOXX Levels

• 05:03 GOLD Levels

• 05:58 Scalp Setups

Today’s levels summary:

• QQQ

  • Between 707-713 => Neutral

  • Bullish above 713 => 716, 719

  • Bearish below 707 => 704, 701

Read more

• Index Structure on hourly timeframes

• Key intraday levels for QQQ, SPY, and SOXX

• Scalping Gameplan for the day

• Intraday trading plan for Gold

• Individual Scalp Setups

Here are the timestamps for the video:

• 00:00 Market Context and QQQ Levels

• 01:56 SPY Levels

• 02:49 Scalp Gameplan

• 03:22 NQ and ES Levels

• 04:36 SOXX Levels

• 05:06 GOLD Levels

• 05:45 Scalp Setups

Today’s levels summary:

• QQQ

  • Between 713-719 => Neutral

  • Bullish above 719 => 722, 725

  • Bearish below 713 => 710, 707

Read more

• Index Structure on hourly timeframes

• Key intraday levels for QQQ, SPY, and SOXX

• Scalping Gameplan for the day

• Intraday trading plan for Gold

• Individual Scalp Setups

Here are the timestamps for the video:

• 00:00 Market Context and QQQ Levels

• 01:47 SPY Levels

• 02:42 Scalp Gameplan

• 03:22 NQ and ES Levels

• 04:49 SOXX Levels

• 05:28 GOLD Levels

• 06:00 Scalp Setups

Today’s levels summary:

• QQQ

  • Between 716-719 => Neutral

  • Bullish above 719 => 722, 725

  • Bearish below 716 => 713, 710, 707

Read more

• Index Structure on hourly timeframes

• Key intraday levels for QQQ, SPY, and SOXX

• Scalping Gameplan for the day

• Intraday trading plan for Gold

Here are the timestamps for the video:

• 00:00 Market Context and QQQ Levels

• 04:08 SPY Levels

• 04:54 Scalp Gameplan

• 05:36 NQ and ES Levels

• 06:42 SOXX Levels

• 07:09 GOLD Levels

Today’s levels summary:

• QQQ

  • Between 728-734 => Neutral

  • Bullish above 734 => 737, 740

  • Bearish below 728 => 725, 722, 719, 716

Read more

• Index Structure on hourly timeframes

• Key intraday levels for QQQ, SPY, and SOXX

• Scalping Gameplan for the day

• Intraday trading plan for Gold

• Individual Scalp Setups

Here are the timestamps for the video:

• 00:00 Market Context and QQQ Levels

• 01:34 SPY Levels

• 02:29 Scalp Gameplan

• 03:32 NQ and ES Levels

• 04:31 SOXX Levels

• 05:06 GOLD Levels

• 06:15 Individual Scalp Setups

Today’s levels summary:

• QQQ

  • Between 728-731 => Neutral

  • Bullish above 731 => 734, 737, 740

  • Bearish below 728 => 725, 722

Read more

This quote from Steve Jobs has always been the most profound for me. It provides a clear metric to measure your life and each activity within. If the answer is no for a single day, it could simply have been a tough day. However, if the answer is no for a series of days, it’s a clear indication of misalignment with your destiny.

Plenty of people live a life of quiet desperation, not realizing that the unease they feel is a sign from the universe that they’re not living in alignment with their spiritual goal. You can see the contrast when a person leaves their past life and takes a leap of faith to pursue their dreams. There will still be tough days and bumps along the road, but the natural ease of that journey is quite different from the frustration of a life chosen out of fear.

Think of your destiny as a stream and your feelings as a compass to navigate this stream. When you flow with your destiny, there is a feeling of ease. You take the tough periods as a challenge and overcome them, compared to the fear and frustration such challenges induce when you’re working on things misaligned with your destiny. That frustration is your signal that you’re flowing counterstream. If you’re lost, however, you feel neither ease nor frustration. You’ve simply lost touch with the current of the stream.

The idea applies just as well to trading. There can be a perfect trading strategy that is profitable. However, you’re never at ease using it. That’s your sign from the universe that the strategy is misaligned with your personality and that your destiny is to find a different way to navigate the markets. At the same time, if you’re uncomfortable with a certain timeframe of trading, regardless of strategy, then your destiny doesn’t involve that timeframe and that style of trading at all. Find one that works for you. And be honest about it. If no style of trading allows you that sense of peace and purpose, then find a vocation that does. Be honest with yourself, and sooner or later you shall find yourself aligned with your soul's purpose, resulting in a meaningful and happy life.