ES Mini | MES Micro Futures Trading Strategy & S&P Trading Room

☀️ AM BRIEFING Traders faced heightened volatility on OPEX Friday as options expiration coincided with key macroeconomic and geopolitical catalysts. With the S&P 500 futures trading in the middle of a 100-day range, conditions favored choppy price action over sustained trends. The session carried additional risk from the PCE inflation release, potential Supreme Court tariff decisions, and geopolitical tensions involving Iran. Emphasizing disciplined risk management, the strategy prioritized capital preservation, reduced position sizing, and strict adherence to predefined loss limits. Opening Remarks Welcome to the AM Briefing: The OPEX Friday Market Outlook and Trading Strategy. Today’s environment is what I would call “Level 10” trading conditions. This is not a normal Friday. It’s OPEX Friday — Options Expiration — and that alone changes the behavior of the market. Add in major macroeconomic catalysts, and we are looking at a session where capital pre...

A Recap of Today's Price Action & Setups: See the full Battle Plan . LEVERAGE: Did you know that trading 1 MES is equal to trading 50 shares of SPY? ▶️ $25,000 in Notional Value Did you know that trading 1 ES is equal to trading 500 shares of SPY? ▶️ $250,000 in Notional Value.  If you trade 4 ES, that's $1M you are slinging!  These ARE BIG contracts.  Respect the risk! TIP : Did you know you could trade shares of SPY with our system? Instead of going "long" with 1 MES (50 SPY Shares), you could trade SMALLER and enter with 10 shares of SPY. Of course, you would need to be aware of PDT rules .  GAMBLER OR TRADER? THE GREAT TRADER TEST: Today was the  Day Before OPEX . A day with a  Level 10 Warning Label  for "squirrelly" price action where soul-crushing reversal candles are the norm. The market will always offer something tempting.  It is never short on temptations.  But here is what separates disciplined traders f...

☀️ AM BRIEFING S&P 500 futures are trading within a broader horizontal range, though near-term price action has tilted bearish as the market remains below key technical benchmarks including the 2026 open and the Bull-Bear line. Traders face heightened volatility amid retail earnings, scheduled economic data, geopolitical tensions, and the approach of option expiration. The analysis emphasizes disciplined, level-driven execution and strict stop management rather than initiating trades in the middle of established ranges. With sentiment leaning negative, the preferred strategy calls for patience, awaiting deeper pullbacks or confirmed reclaims before establishing new long positions. AM Briefing: SPX Futures Market Analysis and Battle Plans Opening Overview The current SPX futures market is characterized by a state of balance within a broader horizontal range, though short-term momentum currently favors bearish outcomes. While the market is positioned smac...

☀️ AM BRIEFING U.S. equity index futures entered Wednesday’s session amid elevated volatility following a turbulent post-holiday trading day. Although the broader technical structure continues to reflect lower highs and lower lows, bulls demonstrated resilience by defending key value areas into the close. Market participants are closely focused on the release of the Federal Open Market Committee minutes, expected to serve as the day’s primary volatility catalyst. Traders are emphasizing disciplined risk management, highlighting defined technical pivots and smaller position sizing in response to expanding price ranges. Opening Remarks Good morning. The market environment for Wednesday, February 18, is defined by high volatility and “big candle” price action following a volatile post-holiday session. While bears technically remain in control with a pattern of lower highs and lower lows, bulls have shown meaningful resilience. Price closed above key half-back lev...

☀️ AM BRIEFING SPX futures are trading at the 100-day value area low following a sharp rotation from last week’s value area top, placing the market at a technically significant support zone. While a downward-sloping VWAP suggests continued bearish control, historical price behavior at these levels has often produced sharp counter-trend rallies, complicating new short positioning. The strategy outlined emphasizes disciplined execution through “Battle Plan 2,” laddered entries near strong levels, and structured risk management using a three-contract framework. Beyond technical factors, the briefing underscores the importance of behavioral discipline, arguing that trading performance is directly tied to non-trading habits and mental preparation. Battle Plan and Market Context We are currently positioned at a very important area in the SPX futures market. After a long holiday weekend, price is sitting at the 100-day value area low (VAL). Just last week, we were ...