In plain English
Window closed. Next entries 9:45 ET. Nothing overnight.
Session closed. Nothing overnight. Next window 9:45 ET. Passing is normal.
In play
| Level | Price | From price | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nothing within half an ATR. | |||
All levels
| Level | Price | From price | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| PDH prior-day RTH high | 29,604.25 | +153 | fresh |
| ONH overnight high (18:00-9:30) | 29,495.75 | +44 | fresh |
| ON mid overnight midpoint; side of open predicts first break ~76% | 29,461.38 | +10 | reference |
| Prior close gap-fill magnet | 29,449.00 | -2 | reference |
| ONL overnight low | 29,427.00 | -24 | fresh |
| PDL prior-day RTH low | 29,167.50 | -284 | fresh |
Regular session, 5-minute
In-play levels and VWAP. Red = resistance, green = support, teal = VWAP. Amber dashed = 9:30 open.
Today's plans
No confirmed setups yet.
Last alert
No heads-up or confirmed setup yet.
The read
Mode
unknown set at 10:30
Nearest
none within 0.5 ATR
Stop
11–22 pts ($22–$45/micro)
News
08:30 Retail Sales (approx.) (High)
Watch
- 8:30 release today: the open runs hotter than usual (ATR ~1.5x). Stops widen, size stays 1 micro, be pickier.
why it matters
The 8:30 release means the open runs hotter than usual. Bars are bigger, stops need more room, and marginal setups are worse than usual. Same size, higher standard. - Price is below the ON mid (29,461.38): ONL usually breaks first (~76%); ONH is reached first only ~23%.
why it matters
Which side of the overnight middle we opened on is today's cheapest clue. Open below it and the market usually goes looking for the overnight low first. It sets your lean, it is not a trade by itself. - Gap +2 pts is tiny (0.01 daily ATR): the prior close 29,449.00 is a magnet (fills ~78%); expect the overnight range to get swept.
why it matters
A small gap means yesterday's close is still close by, and price tends to drift back and touch it. That makes the old close a magnet worth using as a target, not something to fight.
Your trades today
no trades
No round trips yet today.
All alerts
Nothing yet today.
Standing rules
Setup A — fade a shallow poke of a fresh level that closes back inside. Confirm on the next bar.
Setup B — join the morning's direction on the first pullback to VWAP / 21 EMA that holds.
- Window closed. Next entries 9:45 ET.
- Nothing held overnight.
What the terms mean
MNQ
The micro Nasdaq futures contract. Every 1 point the index moves is $2 in your account, so a 50-point stop is $100 of risk on one contract.
PDH / PDL
Yesterday's high and low during regular hours. Everyone sees them, so orders and stops pile up just beyond them. That is why price reacts there.
ONH / ONL
The high and low of the overnight session (6pm to 9:30am). The night session is thin, so those extremes are often tested and taken out once the real volume shows up.
ON mid
The middle of the overnight range. Which side of it the day opens on is a decent hint about which end of the range gets attacked first.
OR15
Opening range: the high and low of the first 15 minutes. It frames the morning; breaking out of it is what most opening trades key off.
IB (initial balance)
The high and low of the first hour. A narrow first hour usually means the day expands out of it; a very wide one usually means the day is already done moving.
VWAP
The average price of the day weighted by volume. Big funds are graded against it, so their buying tends to appear below it and selling above it. Treat it as today's fair value.
ATR
Average true range: how far price typically travels in one 5-minute bar right now. It is the noise level, and your stop has to sit outside it.
R
One R is the amount you risk on a trade. A 1.5R target means you stand to make one and a half times what you are risking.
Poke / sweep
Price pushes a little past a well-known line, triggers the stops resting there, then comes straight back. It looks like a breakout for about a minute.
Body / wick
The body is where the candle opened and closed, the wick is how far it stretched. Bodies show conviction, wicks show rejection.
Setup A (failed break)
The fade. A level gets poked, the candle closes back inside, and you trade the snap-back away from it. You are betting the breakout was a stop grab.
Setup B (first pullback)
The follow. Direction is already established, price pulls back to VWAP or the 21 EMA, holds, and you join it. You are betting the trend is not finished.
Fade
Trading against the immediate move, expecting it to reverse. Only ever done at a level, after the candle closes back inside.
Bracket
Entry, stop and target sent as one order. Once it is in, the trade manages itself and you can walk away.
Grade (A+ / A / B / C)
How clean the setup is, decided from five things: a level, VWAP or the opening structure, a clean rejection or pullback, momentum, and timing. A+ has four or five of them lined up with low risk. A is solid with a flaw or two. B is tradable but imperfect: late, messy, thin, a wider stop. C is watch-only and is never sent. The letter is the shortlist; you decide.
Risk (1-10)
Every alert adds up its own warts and prints them: a retest instead of a fresh level, a wide stop, lunch hours, trading against the day, a release nearby, thin volume. 1-3 is clean, 4-6 medium, 7-10 means one contract or pass. Nothing about the risk is hidden to make a setup look better.