If you blinked this morning, you missed it. The open was a one-two punch of “what the heck?” followed by “oh, I see…” — and if you weren’t sharp on risk management, you probably got run over.
Let’s break it down.
Key Takeaways
Instant Sell Pressure, Then Controlled Rotation
- The initial move looked like strength, but under the hood, liquidity wasn’t backing it up. It was all for show.
- Once the sellers pushed through, we saw clean rotations — especially near overnight lows — perfect for short-biased scalps.
Volume Led the Way
- If you weren’t tracking volume nodes and VWAP interactions, you were lost. This was a “location plus confirmation” kind of day.
- Those who waited for the flush and retest got rewarded. Everyone else? Chop city.
The Strong Survive (the Squeeze)
- Into the second hour, NQ turned into a slingshot. Shorts trapped, squeeze ignited — textbook.
- But it didn’t mean “go long blindly.” The only real edge came from understanding what wasn’t happening.
What I’m Watching
We’re setting up for a possible afternoon fade — if, and only if, we start to reject the VWAP reclaims. The structure’s clean, but don’t get cozy. Keep size reasonable and wait for price to prove it.
Sometimes the best trades come from doing less. Today’s one of those days. Know your spots, execute small, and protect your ammo.
Until next time,
Garrett Baldwin
TheoTRADE
