Monday July 28, 2025

Q: What is the prompt of the week and how does it relate to continuous improvement?

The prompt of the week is a journaling exercise designed to foster self-reflection and improvement. For the period covered, it asked: 'Where did you show improvement in your trade exits?' helping traders focus on specific aspects of execution.

Q: What market conditions are expected for the upcoming week and month?

The week is described as a level 10 due to major catalysts: JOLTS, job data, FOMC, and earnings from Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft. Seasonality suggests strong end-of-July movement, a complex August, and an active September.

Traders entered the last week of July facing elevated volatility, with the FOMC meeting, JOLTS report, and major earnings releases poised to drive market action. The briefing emphasized patience, highlighting the importance of waiting for mapped setups and identifying critical technical levels, particularly the 16–20 single print range as the day’s bull/bear line. ES, Dow, and NQ all printed new highs, with overnight gaps setting up potential gap-fill trades. Microtrader.com reinforced structured education, journaling practices, and community-driven exercises to refine execution and risk discipline.

📚 RESOURCES

▶️ Free "Futures Foundations Course"

▶️ Become A Member: ES MES Futures Trading Room

▶️ YouTube Community Updates

▶️ Trader Meditations: Journaling Software for Futures Traders

☀️ AM BRIEFING

Opening Remarks

The Monday AM Briefing emphasizes a principled approach to trading rooted in discipline, patience, and faith. The session begins with Colossians 3:23: “Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically as something done for the Lord, not for men.” This philosophy applies to both the trading process and the preparation that underpins successful trades.

The "Tip of the Day" focuses on restraint: when the market offers no clear long or short setups, the correct action is to wait. “You simply wait till your mapped out trades happen,” reinforcing that forcing trades is a recipe for losses. Losses themselves are addressed candidly: “Not every trade's a winner guys, we do take losers and the key is being the best loser possible.”

Key Market Dynamics – Last Week of July

This final week of July carries significant volatility potential described as a “level 10 week 100%” due to major news drivers and earnings. The week’s key events include:

Tuesday: JOLTS report.
Wednesday: FOMC meeting.
Later in the week: Job data release.

Earnings releases are expected from Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft, adding to market movement potential. The market closed last week near its highs, with ES, Dow, and NQ printing new all-time highs and gapping up another 20 points overnight. Russell lagged without a new high. Seasonality was noted: “Up, up and away, and then August becomes complex… September it gets fun again.”

Technical Analysis & Charting

The technical review focused on updated levels and key zones. The “strong levels” were refreshed in version 7.27, with several levels carried forward from last week:

IB low paired with weekly low.
Untested halfback from overnight Asia low.
Multiple stacked IB lows, which held as the low each day last week.
RTH halfback levels.

A red “No Trade Zone” line highlights lunch hours to avoid overtrading.

Single prints and VPOCs were a central topic. Untested VPOCs from Tuesday and Wednesday remain in play, alongside “a rather nice set of single prints about four points” from Friday. Friday’s POC sits near its close.

A measured move from the April low to the last all-time high projects a target of 7693.25, marked as a longer-term level of interest.

The single prints in the 16–20 range are designated as the bull/bear line of the day, critical for directional bias.

Gap dynamics are also in focus. The ES gapped up overnight, and the Dow already filled its gap, making similar fills likely targets. For core shorts catching the overnight move, the guidance is: “TP right here with your core contracts… as soon as you hit the RTH high, go ahead and exit contracts and stay in your runner.”

Training, Community & Tools

Microtrader.com continues to emphasize structured learning and community engagement. Traders can access:

A free foundations course.
A 7-day free trial of the “battle plan,” delivering “tomorrow’s entries tonight.”
Daily Zoom sessions before the open and a “Lunch and Learn” at 11:00 a.m. ET.

Members are encouraged to earn badges for each primary bounce level, building skill and reinforcing core strategies. A testimonial from Ed highlighted that learning the first bounce level “significantly increased clarity of what is happening on the chart,” making it feel like “X-ray vision.”

Essay Format Questions

Where did you show improvement in your trade exits?
Which rule did you keep breaking last week, and how will you address it?

Weekend Challenge

Identify the “money trade of the week” — the best long with multi-day hold potential using the second bounce level.
Identify the “core strategy trade that would have hurt you the most” and analyze why.
Mark on your chart where the best long occurred and whether a valid short was presented.

Trader FAQs

Q: What is the core philosophy behind MicroTrader.com's approach to trading?
A: MicroTrader.com's philosophy is encapsulated by Colossians 3:23: "Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically as something done for the Lord, not for men." This principle extends to trading, encouraging traders to approach their work with dedication and patience, waiting for "mapped out trades" instead of chasing price action impulsively.

Q: What resources and tools does MicroTrader.com offer to its members?
A: MicroTrader.com provides a battle plan outlining tomorrow’s entries, daily live Zoom sessions, a lunch-and-learn at 11 a.m. ET, updated “strong levels,” a free foundations course, and a 7-day free trial of the battle plan. Members also gain access to Trader Meditations journaling software and the “essentials indicator” that marks features like the lunch “no trade zone.”

Q: How does MicroTrader.com help new traders learn and improve?
A: New traders progress through a structured program earning badges for mastering each primary bounce level and creating end-of-day charts that reveal core trades. The training builds clarity—described by one member as like seeing the chart with “X-ray vision.”

Q: What is the "prompt of the week" and how does it relate to continuous improvement?
A: The “prompt of the week” is a journaling exercise designed to foster self-reflection and improvement. For the period covered, it asked: “Where did you show improvement in your trade exits?” helping traders focus on specific aspects of execution.

Q: What market conditions are expected for the upcoming week and month?
A: The week is described as a “level 10” due to major catalysts: JOLTS, job data, FOMC, and earnings from Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft. Seasonality suggests strong end-of-July movement, a complex August, and an active September.

Q: What are some key technical levels and indicators discussed for market analysis?
A: The briefing highlights weekly candle strength, IB low with weekly low, untested halfbacks, overnight lows, single prints, VPOCs, and a measured move target of 7693.25. The 16–20 single print range is flagged as the bull/bear line for the day.

Q: What are the weekend challenges and how do they promote learning?
A: Weekend challenges focus on applying core strategies, such as identifying the “trade of the week” using bounce levels and recognizing painful trades to practice risk control. Members also review the best long and potential short from recent price action.

Q: How does MicroTrader.com address the reality of losing trades?
A: The platform emphasizes that losses are part of trading, promoting the concept of being “the best loser possible.” Even adverse trades can offer learning and recovery opportunities, as illustrated by a short that reversed 14 points against but returned to break even.