May 5th, 2026
Day 18 was another frustrating session, mostly because the market was sitting at all time highs and my system just was not reacting well to the volatility. The frustrating part is that the strategy actually would have worked again today, but price was moving so aggressively and so quickly that I kept finding myself late to entries or completely missing the move altogether.
Because of that, I made a slight adjustment to the strategy during the session. It is still fundamentally the same system built around the MACD and Williams Alligator, but I am trying to make it react faster during these highly volatile conditions. Right now I feel like I am trading too slowly while the market is accelerating around me.
The downside is that any adjustment means more work. I am going to have to backtest this version again and see if the changes are actually worth it long term. I do think the modification has potential, but it is still too early to tell.
Unfortunately, I ended the day with a loss even though I honestly do not think I should have lost money today. The market provided opportunities, but my execution and hesitation during the fast moves kept me from capitalizing on them. We will go deeper into the charts later, but overall this felt like one of those days where the market moved correctly while I was simply one step behind it.
Day 18 Travel Poster
MNQ Chart
If you look at the charts, trading really started right at 7:00 AM and there was actually a strong opportunity using the updated version of my system. The new approach is fairly simple. If the MACD is positive while price is above VWAP and above the Williams Alligator, I will look for long entries.
The first setup of the day would have worked perfectly. The initial contract would have taken profit at 27.50 points, while the runner could have continued for an additional 179 points. It turned into one of the better moves of the session and was exactly the type of trade the system is designed to capture.
The next valid setup came around 12:40 PM and also would have been a successful trade using the new rules. That trade would have resulted in a 40 point gain on one contract and around 25 points on the second contract.
Overall, the frustrating part is that the market actually gave me plenty of opportunity today. The updated system identified the moves correctly, but my execution and hesitation kept me from capitalizing on them. Instead of finishing the day with a strong gain, I ended up missing the moves that were right in front of me.
Total Profit: $-94.20
