Trading Room RECAP 4.24.25

Posted on by April 24, 2025

Pre-Market Overview

  • Time: 7:14 AM to 7:40 AM ET

  • Instruments Covered: E-mini S&P 500 Futures (ES) and Nasdaq-100 Futures (NQ)

  • Initial Sentiment: Bearish

  • Key Comments:

    • Price action overnight fulfilled downside targets:

      • ES: 5360 per DTS Briefing

      • NQ: 18625 fulfilled

    • Bear scenario emphasized: Sustained offers below 5385 (ES) and 18850 (NQ) could lead to continuation lower.

    • Transition noted into Cycle Day 3, which was designated as a “Wild-Card” for directional bias.

Intraday Development & Trade Strategy

Morning Session (8:00 AM – 12:00 PM)

  • Shift in Sentiment: Bears completed downside targets early, then bulls gradually took control.

  • Key Development:

    • Price held above the 5385 pivot on ES.

    • Target zones shifted to 5455 → 5500, with intraday milestones progressively tagged.

  • Open Gap Dynamics:

    • A prior gap between 5375–5340 was not filled.

    • PTGDavid stressed that failure to close the gap further emboldened the bullish case.

Trade Execution & Commentary:

  • Confirmed targets:

    • ES: 5455 tagged at 10:20 AM

    • NQ: Open Range long targets met

  • Tone of Market: Strong bullish bias, “perfect game plan” execution.

  • Real-time updates included chart images and ongoing scenario adjustments.

Afternoon Session (12:00 PM – 4:00 PM)

  • Midday Update:

    • ES broke through 5500 by 12:57 PM, confirming the full realization of the bull scenario.

    • “No gap fill” + sustained strength led to accelerated bullish momentum.

  • Later Activity:

    • Market entered a chop zone (5485–5505), marked as low-opportunity.

    • MOC buy imbalance of $1.2 billion added further bullish sentiment late in the session.

    • Alphabet (GOOGL) earnings beat post-market, leading to further strength in futures.

🎓 Educational Takeaways for Traders

  • 1. Structure Your Day with Scenarios:
    PTGDavid’s morning posts outlined both bull and bear scenarios, providing a clear roadmap based on levels of control. This preparation was key to adapting as the session unfolded.

  • 2. Watch for Fulfillment of Key Levels:
    Early fulfillment of downside targets can indicate a phase transition in market tone — from defensive to opportunistic.

  • 3. Respect Gap Dynamics:
    The unfilled gap between 5375–5340 was a critical tell. David’s emphasis on it offered a valuable insight: unfilled gaps can often fuel continuation moves in the prevailing direction.

  • 4. Use Cycle Day Frameworks to Gauge Bias:
    Recognizing Cycle Day transitions (e.g., Day 2 → Day 3) provides context for expected price behavior, such as range expansion or consolidation.

  • 5. Stay Flexible but Disciplined:
    Even as market conditions changed, David remained within the bounds of his original trade plan, adjusting only as conditions warranted.

  • 6. Recognize When the Market Offers “No Edge”:
    Identifying chop zones (e.g., 5485–5505) helped avoid overtrading in low-probability areas.

  • 7. Blend Technicals with Real-Time Context:
    David intertwined price levels with intraday sentiment, economic news (e.g., Alphabet earnings), and order flow insights like MOC data — a holistic approach to trading.

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