Despite a near 2% gap down for $SPY at the cash open on Friday I noticed the extrinsic value starting to decay quickly ahead of the 3-day weekend. Wanted to play some weekly put spreads but never did meet my comfort level and I didn’t feel like gambling. As the day wore on and the [...]

I use seasonality as a gauge to manage risk. If seasonal tendencies continue their course then the less likely technical levels are to be broken. When seasonal tendencies lose their way is when volatility increases and I step up my risk management as things are afoot. One of the most widely touted seasonal plays is [...]

In the trenches of the markets we make decisions on a daily basis as to whether and where our capital is put to work. Perhaps the decision is something as quick as a short-term scalp lasting mere seconds or a longer lasting swing trade that may take 2-3 days to reach its potential. Regardless of [...]

The next time this much focus will be on Jackson Hole this year will be in November when anxious skiers are checking the snow depths. The Jackson Hole showdown between Philo Beddoe and Jack Wilson definitely packed more punch that Ben’s speech. I’m glad that he pushed it back to DC rather than do something [...]

The last few weeks in the market have been full of emotions and now that Ben has spoken, we have Irene to focus on as it approaches the East coast. I’m hopeful that the damage will be minimal and life can move on come Monday. Seems, as Brian Shannon points out, that the markets have [...]