PTG Morning Brief — May 19, 2025
Cycle Day 2 (CD2) | Moody’s Downgrade Edition | “Everything’s Fine” (Mostly)
By: PTGDavid, Polaris Trading Group
🕔 Opening Notes & Narrative Setup
The week kicked off with a slight hangover from Friday’s OPEX, seasoned with a Moody’s U.S. debt downgrade. Futures opened sharply lower — more than 1.3% down overnight — yet the market mood was far from doomsday. As David put it, vols ticked up “1/2 to 1 vol point… not too shabby,” and the drop looked more like a “casual adjustment” than a meltdown.
While headlines shouted “downgrade,” David calmly framed it as Moody’s simply catching up with its rating agency peers:
“This is simply an adjustment to align with the other rating agencies.”
Translation: Don’t panic.
🔍 Key Market Levels & Technical Chessboard
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Gamma Guys Put Wall (5875–5893) provided a textbook overnight bounce — bulls stepped in, reversed the bleed.
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CD1 Low (5923) became the early morning battleground. Once reclaimed, buyers wrestled control.
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Opening Range Breakouts fired successfully in both NQ and ES, targets met — A4 Long setup got two fills and ran until stopped later.
David’s commentary rhythm matched market tempo: fast, focused, and peppered with trademark PTG one-liners like:
“Buyers have early ball control on reclaim of 5923.”
“BOOM>>>Line in the Sand 5950 Recovery”
“Manic Monday” (yes, complete with a Bangles YouTube link 🎶)
🧠 Trade Strategy Themes
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The A4 Long trade taken at 8:30 hit 2 targets and was managed with precision until the runner was stopped out around 10:29.
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The initial balance printed from 5912.25 to 5964.75, with midpoint at 5938.50 — a pivot area that shaped the midday churn.
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David emphasized the importance of RSPR technique, noting its versatility and prevalence.
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As the day matured, the narrative shifted from directional push to “two-way traffic,” as expected.
🎯 Targets Achieved
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The 5950 level (tagged “Line in the Sand”) held as a critical reclaim — and it delivered.
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The bullish scenario, calling for price to sustain above 5950 and aim for 5965–5970, was fulfilled by 11:43 AM — almost to the tick:
“Apologies for not ticking 65!!! I’ll try harder next time.”
📸 Visual Aids & Market Postcards
David delivered multiple annotated screenshots to complement the stream:
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Overnight Bounce from Gamma Wall → https://tradechat.me/uploads/PTGDavid_PTG_20250519-080722image.png
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Market structure & reclaim dynamics → https://tradechat.me/uploads/PTGDavid_PTG_20250519-081318image.png
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Post-runner transition chart → https://tradechat.me/uploads/PTGDavid_PTG_20250519-102924image.png
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Final push above 5970 zone → https://tradechat.me/uploads/PTGDavid_PTG_20250519-114228image.png
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Lunch break exhale → https://tradechat.me/uploads/PTGDavid_PTG_20250519-115043LunchBreak.jpg
💬 Community Flow
PTG chat was alive with trader banter, chart confirmations, and level debates:
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@blibby71 mirrored David’s Gamma Wall read.
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Chief and Bruce chimed in with solid commentary.
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“Wabbit Hunt” and “Noon Balloon” added lighthearted spice to technical moments — PTG culture at its finest.
🥪 Midday Wrap
“OK solid morning session… Stepping out for lunch period…. Back in couple hours.”
With the bull case validated, all morning targets hit, and trade rhythms shifting to two-way action, David signed off for lunch — mission accomplished.
🧩 Final Thought
PTGDavid’s morning stream was a masterclass in measured analysis, tactical precision, and just enough market humor to keep the caffeine flowing. The market may have started the day uncertain, but by midday, it was clearly marching to the beat of the PTG drum.