Dear Traders,
This week was one of those trading weeks that reminds me why I still love this business after more than 13 years. I caught a beautiful SPX call trade on the break of the all-time high and finished the trade with approximately $70,000 in profit.
But I wasn’t watching this setup alone. Jarad and Brian were following the market with me in our community, and together we were watching the SPX all-time high and waiting for the opportunity to develop. I recorded both a recap of the trade and the actual live trading footage so you can see exactly what happened.I put together a quick recap explaining the setup, what we were watching around the all-time high, why I took the trade, and how I managed it.
|
|
|
|
|
But there’s something I think is even more valuable than watching a recap after the trade is finished.
Watching it happen live.
It’s always easy to pull up a chart after the market closes and explain what you should have done. It’s very different when real money is on the line, the market is moving quickly, and you have to make decisions in seconds. That’s why I also included the actual live trading recording in this YouTube recap.
You can see the setup developing in real time, hear what Jarad, Brian, and I were discussing, and watch how I reacted as SPX broke through the all-time high. For me, that’s the most valuable part. The $70,000 is exciting, of course. But the process is what matters. Identifying the level. Waiting for confirmation. Managing the risk.
And then having the conviction to execute when the opportunity appears.
|
|
|
Can Day Trading Produce Consistent Returns?
There’s another topic I want to discuss because I hear this argument all the time. Many people believe day trading cannot produce consistent returns over the long term. The conventional wisdom is simple: buy an index fund, hold it, and don’t try to beat the market. There is absolutely nothing wrong with long-term investing. I’m a long-term investor myself.
But does that mean an experienced trader with a defined strategy and proper risk management cannot generate returns that are different from the overall market?
Why not?
I recently looked at my account performance over the last three months and compared it with SPY. The difference was interesting.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Over this period, SPY returned approximately 4%. My account was up approximately 20%. Of course, three months is a very short period. This doesn’t mean I’ll outperform SPY next month, next quarter, or next year.
It also doesn’t mean these returns came without risk.
But I wanted to share it because I think there is a misconception that active trading simply cannot produce meaningful returns that are uncorrelated with the broader market. I don’t believe it’s impossible. I believe the real question is whether you can do it while controlling risk.
After more than 13 years in the market, one thing has become very clear to me: Finding a great trade is only part of being a trader. You also have to survive the trades that don’t work. You have to know how much you’re willing to lose before entering a position. You have to avoid allowing one bad trade to destroy weeks or months of good work. And you need the discipline to recognize that sometimes the best trade is no trade at all.
This week’s SPY all time high breakout was a great opportunity.
But opportunities like this only matter if you have the discipline, risk management, and capital to still be in the game when they appear.
That’s why I’m so focused on the process.
|
|
|
Why Community Matters to Me
Another reason this week’s trades were special was having Jared and Brian there with me. Trading can be a lonely business. You’re sitting in front of multiple monitors, watching the market move incredibly quickly, and sometimes making very consequential decisions in seconds. Having other serious traders around you gives you another set of eyes. Someone might notice a level you missed, see a change in price action, challenge your thesis, or simply bring your attention to an opportunity developing somewhere else in the market. Ultimately, every trader has to make their own decisions and manage their own risk, but I believe there is tremendous value in being surrounded by people who take trading seriously.
That’s one of the reasons we’ve spent so many years building our trading community, and I also want more traders to be able to participate even if they’re not ready to become a paid member. We have a free Discord community where traders can share ideas, discuss what’s moving, talk about their trades, and stay connected with each other throughout the day. I especially enjoy being there after hours, when the market has slowed down and we can actually discuss what happened, what worked, what didn’t, and what opportunities we might be watching for the following session. |
|
|
|
|
My goal in sharing trades like this isn’t to make it look like every day ends with a $70,000 winner. It doesn’t. Trading has winning days, losing days, incredible periods, and difficult periods. I want to share the entire process, including the setups, execution, risk management, community, wins, and losses. Hopefully, by being transparent about that process, we can encourage and inspire each other to continue becoming better traders.
This week happened to be a great day: approximately $70,000 on the SPX all-time high breakout. Tomorrow, we start again.
If you have some time this weekend, watch the recap, watch the actual live trade, and then come say hello to us in Discord. I’d love to have you there.
|
|
|
See you in the markets,
Andrew Aziz |
|
|
|
|
