Crude Over $100 — Volatility Is Backby Tony Rago The big macro driver this morning is crude oil pushing through the $100 level, and that move is bleeding into everything across the board. Higher energy prices tend to ripple through markets quickly — impacting inflation expectations, sentiment, and risk appetite. Equity futures initially gapped down

Hey trader, Tuesday morning, the NQ opened into a firestorm.  Yet, I managed to avoid any serious pain. And it’s a lesson I want to share with you today. The VIX was above 25, and the overnight range had already carved out 641 handles. Bars on the five-minute chart were printing 100 points each. I

Volatility Spike After Payrollsby Tony Rago The payroll numbers are out, and the market’s initial reaction is clearly risk-off. Futures slipped quickly on the release while the VIX pushed above 26 — a level that tends to signal elevated fear and faster price movement across the board. When volatility spikes like this, intraday ranges often

Holding the Line — Bulls Test Momentumby Tony Rago Bulls managed to hold the rally through yesterday’s session, which now sets the stage for an important follow-through test today. On the board, the key level for me on NQ is 25,000, with 24,912 acting as the true line in the sand. If buyers can keep

Hold the Weekly Opensby Tony Rago Bulls are working to keep price pinned above the weekly opens — 6,820 on ES and 24,682 on NQ. Those levels matter because the weekly open often acts as a sentiment line in the sand; hold above it and buyers maintain control, lose it and momentum can shift quickly.

First of the Month Whiplash by Tony Rago Big jam job to kick off the new month — and then the rug gets pulled overnight. We sold off hard, took out yesterday’s lows, and now ES is trading under 6800 with NQ pressing into 25,500. That’s a notable shift in tone. When you see prior lows

War Headlines and a Volatile Openby Tony Rago Big gap down on geopolitical headlines overnight, and with VIX pushing over 23, we’re walking into a high-volatility open. When the VIX gets elevated like this, it’s signaling expanded expected ranges — which means faster moves, wider rotations, and less forgiveness for poor entries. I’ll be laser-focused

Hey trader, Every NQ session opened with ATR readings between 47 and 57 this week.  Hundred-handle bars were printing before 10 AM. If you traded the open the same way you trade 11 AM, you got hurt. I know because I watched it happen on Monday, and I felt it myself. This article breaks down

  PPI Jolt — Range Still Rulesby Tony Rago PPI hit this morning and the market didn’t love it — futures backed off and we’re setting up for what could be a bumpy open. ES 6850 and NQ 24,750 are the key spots on my radar. Those are the near-term lines where order flow should

Breakout — Now Comes the Testby Tony Rago Bulls finally showed up and ripped price back above the major resistance that’s been capping us for the last couple of weeks. That’s a meaningful shift — when a level holds that long, it builds inventory and trapped positioning, so reclaiming it often forces a repricing. Now