“Bulls Slip on the Soap Bar…Then Amazon Pulls the Plug!”

97 Years After Black Tuesday, Wall Street Delivers Another Halloween Horror Show!

KEY LINKS & RESOURCES

• PTG Website: https://polaristradinggroup.com/

• Daily Trade Strategy Briefing: https://polaristradinggroup.com/blog/ptg-daily-trade-strategy/

• Daily Range Calculator: https://polaristradinggroup.com/daily-range-calculator/

• CFTC Rule 4.41 Disclaimer: https://www.dropbox.com/s/hq5ukmcnparpae9/CFTC%20Rule%204.41.jpg?dl=0

The Big Picture: Cycle Day 3 Goes Full Wild Card!

Thursday’s trading session was a textbook reminder that Cycle Day 3 doesn’t always deliver its surprises in an orderly fashion.

Sometimes the market follows the script.

Sometimes it tears up the script.

And sometimes Amazon and Intel show up after the closing bell with a flamethrower.

The session featured precision fulfillment of PTG Daily Trade Strategy downside targets, another successful DLMB reversal opportunity, a rejection at the critical 7765 Line in the Sand, and an afternoon defense of the 7725 support ledge.

All followed by an extraordinary $8.5 billion reported Market-on-Close BUY imbalance.

Surely that would keep the Bulls comfortable?

Not so fast, Buckaroo!

The real fireworks were still waiting in the earnings calendar.

And with the 97th anniversary of the October 29, 1929, Black Tuesday crash serving as the day’s historical backdrop, the timing was almost too theatrical to believe.

Opening historical reference chart:

https://t2r4.com/uploads/2026/10/29/image_091005.png

Opening Auction: DLMB Strikes Again!

The opening auction delivered an early reminder of why we prepare our levels before the market opens.

ES pushed lower into 7735, fulfilling the second downside objective outlined in the morning’s DTS Briefing.

And right on schedule, buyers responded.

At 9:42 AM, the call went out:

“DLMB Long in-play.”

One minute later, the 7735 target fulfillment and reversal were confirmed.

That’s the beauty of a properly constructed trading plan.

We don’t need to predict every tick.

We need to identify the high-probability decision zones, observe price behavior, and execute when alignment presents itself.

DanV delivered an excellent DLMB execution example, prompting Bruce F to acknowledge the quality of the entry.

Dan also noted that the setup’s last invalidation had occurred on September 23, an observation from his ongoing research.

The lesson?

Research creates confidence. Structure provides context. Execution captures opportunity.

And the DLMB continues to earn its keep.

Morning PTG chart:

https://t2r4.com/uploads/2026/10/29/image_093718.png

DanV’s DLMB execution chart:

https://gyazo.com/d8fada7f93e874d57d7224c124be23d8

Midmorning: The Chop Shop Opens for Business

By approximately 10:30 AM, the early directional enthusiasm had given way to a familiar trading-room observation:

“Chopfest now.” — ram

Indeed.

Price action began displaying consolidation rhythms, challenging traders who were expecting clean directional continuation.

The Initial Balance developed, while rotational activity reminded everyone that not every market environment rewards aggressive participation.

We also observed an A10 Flip-out, another example of how the ATR framework can identify changing auction conditions.

Crude Oil received attention during the morning session as well.

Crude Oil reference chart:

https://t2r4.com/uploads/2026/10/29/image_101044.png

The tactical message was straightforward:

When the auction becomes rotational, reduce the urge to manufacture trades.

Sometimes the best position is the one you never put on.

Trading Room Education: CHoCH, BOS, OODA and the Art of Not Getting Trapped

One of the day’s most valuable discussions came from Savann and ram, who raised excellent questions about market structure, momentum, and execution.

The conversation focused on several important concepts:

• CHoCH — Change of Character: Recognizing potential shifts in the prevailing auction structure.

• BOS — Break of Structure: Identifying whether price has confirmed structural continuation or a meaningful transition.

• HTF/LTF Alignment: Using higher-timeframe context to guide lower-timeframe execution.

• OODA Loop: Observe, Orient, Decide, Act — a disciplined decision-making process.

• Inducement and Momentum: Distinguishing genuine directional acceptance from unstable price movement designed to attract premature participation.

Savann specifically questioned how traders should interpret violent momentum spikes, referencing the 7800 area, and how to recognize possible inducements before committing capital.

Ram added an equally important observation about first-pullback entries following unstable directional moves.

A first pullback isn’t automatically a quality setup simply because price has moved sharply.

The quality of the move matters. The structure matters. The location matters.

This is where experience and mechanical discipline must work together.

Intuition developed through thousands of chart observations should help traders recognize when conditions are favorable—not become an excuse to abandon their rules.

Our PTG framework remains:

Alignment → Assignment → Attack.

No alignment?

No assignment.

No attack.

And absolutely no need to audition for the role of Exit Liquidity Provider of the Year.

Midday: 7765 LIS — The Bulls Meet the Bouncer

At 11:44 AM, price had managed to push toward the important 7765 Line in the Sand.

But the Bulls weren’t getting VIP admission.

Price rejected the level and rotated back lower.

The market continued operating within consolidation rhythms, with neither side establishing sustained directional control.

The 7765 rejection reinforced the importance of distinguishing between merely touching a reference level and achieving genuine acceptance beyond it.

A level tested is not necessarily a level conquered.

And the Bears made that distinction abundantly clear.

Afternoon: Bulls Slip on the Soap Bar!

By 1:47 PM, the tone had shifted.

The official PTG observation:

“Bulls slipping on the Soap Bar this afternoon.”

Seven minutes later, the market had fulfilled another predefined objective.

7725 — DTS Briefing Third Lower Target — HIT!

The Bulls had managed to transform a morning recovery into an afternoon balancing act along the edge of a rather uncomfortable cliff.

At 2:34 PM, the situation was described perfectly:

“Bulls looking over the cliff edge @ 7725…”

One minute later came the day’s cinematic reference:

“It’s the Bud Fox Moment.”

Would the Bulls defend the ledge?

Would the Bears force another liquidation sequence?

Or would Wall Street simply continue squeezing every remaining ounce of patience out of both sides?

The answer, at least during regular trading hours, was that 7725 held.

The Bulls survived the immediate test.

But surviving a test and regaining control are two very different accomplishments.

Closing Auction: $8.5 Billion MOC BUY Imbalance!

As the regular session approached its conclusion, the trading room received a significant closing-flow update.

With month-end positioning in focus, institutional portfolio exposure and closing auction flows became a central part of the discussion.

The Bulls had successfully defended 7725, and the closing imbalance offered an additional reason to watch for late-session buying pressure.

Meanwhile, the A10 methodology delivered a particularly active session, earning the closing declaration:

“Massive day for A10.”

A10 closing-session chart:

https://t2r4.com/uploads/2026/10/29/image_160009.png

The regular session was over.

The Bulls had survived.

The computers were still warm.

And then…

4:02 PM arrived.

After Hours: Amazon Drops the Hammer!

At 4:02 PM, the trading room erupted.

“AMAZON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” — PTGDavid

Within moments, the ES was experiencing an extraordinarily sharp downside reaction.

The room described a 30-handle move lower in a nanosecond.

So much for that peaceful closing auction.

The initial Amazon earnings figures circulating through the room showed:

Figures and immediate stock reaction as reported in the PTG room at 4:05 PM. Final results and price changes remain subject to verification.

The market was already scrutinizing Amazon’s cloud growth, capital expenditures, and AI investment returns heading into the announcement.

The room’s initial reaction was anything but subtle.

“Pass me the defibrillator…I think my heart skipped a few beats!”

Followed by:

“I am also hyperventilating!!!!”

And just when you thought the evening’s cardiac stress test had concluded…

Intel Joins the After-Hours Demolition Derby

At approximately 4:08 PM, the room reported another dramatic earnings reaction.

Intel had beaten the reported third-quarter earnings and sales estimates, but its fourth-quarter outlook disappointed.

The room reported Intel shares plunging more than 20% in the immediate reaction. Subsequent reporting also described a substantial after-hours selloff tied to disappointing forward guidance.

And therein lies a critical lesson:

Markets don’t trade yesterday’s earnings. They discount tomorrow’s expectations.

Beating the quarter doesn’t guarantee a favorable market response when forward guidance disappoints.

The final PTG observation?

“ALL RED…screenshot.”

After-hours earnings reaction screenshot:

https://t2r4.com/uploads/2026/10/29/image_160839.png

What began as a measured Cycle Day 3 auction had transformed into a volatile after-hours repricing event.

PTG Technical Scorecard

The important distinction is that the day’s downside objectives were fulfilled during the regular session. The subsequent earnings-driven move was a separate after-hours event.

Trading Room MVPs and Memorable Moments

The community brought plenty of insight and entertainment to Thursday’s session.

DanV demonstrated the value of disciplined DLMB execution and systematic setup research.

Savann pushed the market-structure conversation deeper into CHoCH, BOS, momentum, and inducement.

Ram raised the critical distinction between mechanical execution and recognizing unstable market conditions.

Bruce F shared his three-minute execution-chart approach, while the D-Level discussion reinforced that the underlying levels remain consistent across chart timeframes.

And slatitude39 brought a Viking sword into the conversation, just in case the Bears needed additional encouragement.

Special recognition to JPTrades for the timeless agricultural futures trading-room expression:

“Rack ’em, stack ’em, bag ’em, and tag ’em.”

A fitting description of what the market occasionally does to overconfident traders.

Friday, October 30 — Next Session Outlook

PRELIMINARY ROADMAP | MONTH-END POSITIONING

Friday’s primary consideration is how the ES auction responds to the overnight repricing following Amazon and Intel earnings.

The key question is whether sellers can maintain control or whether buyers can recover the reference levels surrendered during the after-hours reaction.

Friday also transitions into the next Taylor Three-Day Cycle, with Cycle Day 1 bringing renewed attention to potential decline rhythms and range development.

The objective is not to predict the exact overnight low.

It is to observe where the auction establishes value and determine which side demonstrates sustained control.

One more consideration: October month-end positioning may create additional volatility and sharp rotations. Respect the calendar, but let price confirm the trade.

PTG Final Word: The Market Always Gets the Last Laugh

Thursday delivered nearly everything a trader could ask for.

Predefined downside targets fulfilled.

A textbook DLMB opportunity.

A clearly identified LIS rejection.

Excellent discussions about structure and execution.

And an afternoon support defense that kept the Bulls alive into the closing bell.

Then came the earnings announcements.

Amazon apparently decided that a quiet Thursday evening was overrated.

Intel followed with a reminder that even beating earnings estimates doesn’t mean shareholders will be celebrating.

And the ES?

Thirty handles lower before anyone could locate the defibrillator.

The lesson is timeless:

The market doesn’t care what you think should happen. It only cares what actually happens.

Trade the levels.

Respect the structure.

Manage the risk.

And remember:

“The Bulls may have survived the Soap Bar…but the After-Hours Shower was ICE COLD!”

Stay disciplined. Stay objective. Stay aligned.

Primary Directive: Stay in Alignment with the Dominant Force.

— PTGDavid

Polaris Trading Group | Trade the Plan. Manage the Risk. Respect the Odds.

Risk Disclosure: Trading futures involves substantial risk and is not suitable for all investors. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. This recap is educational market commentary and does not constitute investment advice.