Monday Jul 14: Daily Trade Plan and Price Action Zones for S&P Futures
Monday July 14, 2025
Opening Remarks
Welcome to the Microtrader.com AM Briefing for Monday, July 14th. This session lays out the strategic mindset, market read, and tactical tools our community will use to prepare for the trading day and week ahead. At the heart of everything is intentionality — trading with purpose and preparation, not reaction.
Core Philosophy: Intentional Trading & Preparation
A central tenet of the Microtrader.com approach is the emphasis on intentional trading over reactive trading. The briefing begins by posing a reflective question:
“What part of your trading felt reactive instead of intentional?”
The speaker explains how the nightly "battle plan" anchors every trader’s day. Instead of making decisions on the fly — “Oops, I need to go long,” or “Oops, I need to go short” — traders use the battle plan to define clear zones for engagement. The statement is clear: “We don’t do reactive trading in our group. We do intentional trading. And intentional trading is much more successful than just reacting.”
Hard work behind the scenes is portrayed as the real source of trading success. That includes weekend replay sessions, candle-by-candle analysis, journaling, reviewing charts, and setting clear goals for the week. The speaker challenges members:
“Are you putting in the work behind the scenes when no one’s watching?”
Journaling is emphasized as a powerful discipline, especially when paired with the “Trader Meditations” tool, which captures insights and lessons in one central location.
Tactically, a core principle is reinforced: "Don’t diddle in the middle." This refers to avoiding trades in the center of a range, where conviction is lowest and edge is minimal. The speaker acknowledges missing a trade due to adherence to this rule but affirms its long-term value, especially when waiting for clarity during RTH (Regular Trading Hours).
Key Trading Tools & Concepts
Several proprietary Microtrader.com tools were discussed as foundational to the system:
- The Battle Plan: Published nightly, it defines specific price zones for intentional trading. For example: “Right here at 631150... this is the most important level heading into tonight and tomorrow. It’s our bull/bear line in the sand.”
- Strong Levels Indicator: Updated daily, it marks out key support and resistance zones. These levels feed into the battle plan and represent important inflection points. “That range eventually became part of the strong levels for this week... update your strong levels indicator.”
The speaker emphasizes that “Battle Plan + Strong Levels = Entire Trading System.” This approach is said to benefit even traders with an existing strategy who want supplemental, structured context. The system is now available for purchase for those interested.
Other key components include:
- Three Primary Bounce Levels: These are taught through the “badges” training system.
- End-of-Day Charting: Essential for identifying strategy-confirming entry patterns.
- Seasonality: July is described as “a pretty darn bullish month,” while August tends to be more erratic or “squirly.”
- Bull/Bear Line in the Sand: A specific price level (e.g., 631150) that represents a sentiment shift. Breaching it could suggest a move toward the bottom of the defined range.
Market Outlook & Current Analysis (as of Monday, July 14th)
- The market is currently in the middle of a multi-day range, identified last Thursday.
- NQ (Nasdaq futures) is back inside Friday’s range, whereas Russell and YM (Dow futures) are not yet back inside.
- All major indices are above upward-sloping VWAPs, which supports a bullish outlook.
Despite a recent pullback, the bulls remain in control. The drop is framed as “building a massive chop zone for a monster move out of here.” There’s speculation about reaching all-time highs, bolstered by seasonal strength in July.
The speaker warns against early shorting:
“Don’t be the first one short when we’re making higher highs and higher lows and going up up up.”
Shorts can be part of the battle plan, but they must be based on confirmation and context. Patience remains essential.
An overnight trade — a “gorgeous battle plan trade” at 2:00 AM — is mentioned. It bounced cleanly off a strong level, though the speaker personally missed it.
Group Activities & Member Benefits
- Daily Zoom Sessions: Begin 15 minutes before the market opens and typically pause by 11:00 AM to manage trade runners.
- Monday Lunch and Learn: Confirmed for this week.
- Live Streams: Special sessions occur throughout the week, including Tuesday’s CPI Watch Party.
- Free Foundations Course: Available for free on the Microtrader.com website for those new to the platform.
- Badge System: A way for members to mark progress through concepts like bounce levels and end-of-day chart creation.
- Community Engagement: The speaker encourages feedback, saying, “Hit that like button — it costs you nothing and lets me know you enjoy what I’m putting together here.”
"Because of the Lord's faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness."
Upcoming News Drivers
- Monday: No major economic drivers.
- Tuesday: CPI release, labeled a “level 10 trading day for sure.”
- Wednesday: PPI and Retail Sales data drop.
- Thursday: The day before OPEX, known for sentiment-driven volatility.
- Friday: Options Expiration (OPEX) finalizes the trading week.
- Earnings Season: Kicks off this week, starting with the banks.
Trader FAQ
Q: What is the purpose of the Battle Plan in the Microtrader.com system?
A: The Battle Plan outlines pre-defined price zones and engagement strategies to help traders execute intentional, non-reactive trades.
Q: Why is it important to avoid trading in the middle of a range?
A: Trading in the middle of a range lacks clear directional bias and edge, increasing the likelihood of low-conviction, choppy trades.
Q: What indicators suggest the market is currently bullish?
A: All major indices are trading above upward-sloping VWAPs, and July seasonality tends to support upward momentum.
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