Lessons

1. If VIX is under 26, buy the dip. If VIX is over 26, sell the rip.

2. Always trade in the direction of the larger trend. Find the strongest trend in your time period.

3. Nothing as bearish as a failed breakout. Nothing as bullish as a failed break down.

4. Don't worry about the last dollar. Take your money and go to the beach!

5. No more than four positions at a time. Preferably 2-4. Scope out others. Pick the strongest.

6. Buy the strongest; sell (short) the weakest.

7. Nothing is guaranteed. Nothing.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Prognosticating

So far, I am treating this as a two wave decline. Dow and SPX will touch the 50MA at least. Bonds (TLT), which are in a bear market, will retrace at lease 23.6% and possibly 38.2%.

However, there is a distinct possibility that this is the start of something somewhat bigger. the NDX is at the 50 MA, and did breach it. It could sink a lot more than the others, quite possibly to the 2007 high, at 2210 or so, another 4% down from here, for a 10% correction. There are major divergences in the New Highs and other breath indicators, both in the short-term and in the intermediate-term (from the April and November highs). Also, there was increasing complacency in the trading community and the blogosphere - do stocks ever go down, was a constant refrain.

The safest policy is to go long bonds TLT upon a bounce in equities. Shorting NDX may also be worth exploring, as might shorting SOX or other erstwhile high flyers.

However, if this was the beginning of something bigger, I do expect there to be a substantial bounce before another fall. At major tops, drops are initially bought. There is a great deal of volatility. This is a ST buying opp, not a selling opportunity.

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