Best Trade Plan for Monday ES Emini Futures Traders

Q: What technical concepts should a futures trader look for when analyzing a chart?

Traders focus on key price levels such as the Point of Control (POC), RTH High/Low, Weekly High/Low, and Value Area levels. They also monitor untested levels during RTH and use tools like VWAPs to assess price alignment.

Q: How do experienced futures traders decide whether to hold a winning trade over the weekend?

They evaluate the market narrative and whether they have enough built-in profit (e.g., 50+ points). If the narrative suggests a favorable event may occur (like a resolved shutdown), and the trade is well in profit, they may choose to hold the position.

Q: How should a new trader handle losing trades and drawdowns?

New traders should reframe losses as learning experiences. Each drawdown is an opportunity to document a lesson learned and identify a character trait being developed, helping ensure nothing is wasted in the growth process.

Monday November 10, 2025

The November 10 AM Briefing highlighted a bullish market outlook fueled by a weekend gap-up, attributed to expectations of a resolution to the government shutdown. Technical indicators reinforced this sentiment, with price action well above key VWAP levels and the prior day’s high. Traders were advised to avoid short positions while price remains above the designated bull-bear line and instead wait for strategic long entries on pullbacks to support zones. A reflective segment concluded the session, urging traders to reframe drawdowns as educational investments rather than mere losses.

☀️ AM BRIEFING

Opening Remarks

Micros Trader began the November 10 AM Briefing with a strong assertion that the current market condition is clearly bullish. This outlook follows a weekend gap-up that was anticipated based on a macroeconomic narrative—specifically, the belief that the government shutdown would be resolved, leading to positive price action. The strategy emphasizes caution on short setups and a patient approach to longs, especially for flat traders.

Current Market Condition and Bias

The market is in an established uptrend. Micros Trader noted that multiple Volume-Weighted Average Prices (VWAPs) are sloping upward, and price is trading well above those VWAPs. Additionally, price is holding above the previous day's high, reinforcing the sentiment that "we're certainly all on the same train."

He also pointed out that price is trading above a key level referred to as the "bull bear line for the week." This confluence of technicals and market structure, paired with underlying narratives, supports the long bias. The recent move was fueled by "massive short covering," pushing prices higher into the start of the week.

Prevailing Narrative and Active Position

Micros Trader held a long position over the weekend, citing two reasons:

A significant profit cushion of over 50 points.
A compelling narrative that the government shutdown would be resolved, making a bullish gap more likely.

The trade was initiated as part of "battle plan trade number four" from Friday, entering from a preferred zone approximately 85 points below the price at planning time. As anticipated, the market gapped up, and the trade was immediately profitable. The advice for traders in similar positions: “do jack nothing today” and let the runner go.

Recommended Approach and Potential Setups

Micros Trader emphasized extreme caution on short trades while price holds above the bull bear line. While he did outline a possible "speculator special" short setup, he did not take the trade himself and made it clear this was a high-risk opportunity.

For flat traders looking for long entries, two scenarios were discussed:

A pullback into a strong area near the London session low, followed by a bounce and a continuation move higher.
A deeper retest into the top of a previously defined multi-day range, which could serve as a new support level before a resumed uptrend.

Micros Trader stressed the importance of not chasing and waiting for price to revisit levels of interest.

Key Technical Levels and Chart Analysis

A substantial portion of the briefing was spent on a live chart update, marking key technical zones for the week. These included:

Weekly Point of Control (POC)
Value Areas
Untested Single Prints
Session Highs and Lows

A multi-day trading range between 6758.75 and 6789.50 was highlighted. On Friday, Micros Trader had taken a long after a test of the bottom of this range. The market has now broken out above this structure, turning its upper boundary into a potential support level.

Summary of Key Chart Levels:

Weekly POC: At the current price.
Weekly High / RTH High: ~6878.
Friday's Value Area High: Unspecified, but critical support.
Thursday's POC: Not tested in RTH.
Sunday Opening Gap: Kept as reference.
A Period Single Prints: Not RTH tested; potential magnet.
Overnight High: 6878.
Other Levels: RTH Halfbacks, IB Highs, Asia Highs.

Macro and Event Drivers

CPI: Most important driver this week.
PPI: Due later in the week.
No Scheduled Major News: Monday through Wednesday.
Corporate Earnings: Applied Materials, Cisco, Walt Disney.
Geopolitical: Trump’s unscheduled comments remain a wildcard.

Trader Psychology and Mindset

The session concluded with a devotional reflection rooted in 2 Corinthians, focusing on how to interpret drawdowns.

Key Quotes:

"This perspective shift changes everything. Your losing week isn't just pain. It's tuition to the markets graduate school."

"That drawdown isn't just money gone. It's an opportunity to prove your process works beyond your comfort zones."

Practical Tip: After every losing trade, write down one lesson learned and one character trait being developed. Keep this list visible as proof that no loss is wasted.

Community and Platform Updates

Battle Plan: Updated every Monday night with 6 setups.
Tuesday Live Stream: Free and public on YouTube.
YouTube Memberships:
- "Buy me a coffee": $4/month support tier.
- Channel Membership: Includes Monday exclusive live stream access.

❓ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Futures Trading: Q&A with Micros Trader

💡 Question 1: What technical concepts should a futures trader look for when analyzing a chart?

A: Traders focus on key price levels that define market behavior, such as the POC (Point of Control), which represents the most popular price for the entire week or session. Other important levels include the RTH (Regular Trading Hours) High and Low, the Weekly High and Low, and the Value Area High and Low. Traders also look for levels that were not tested in the RTH session, as these can often be important reference points. Additionally, charting tools like the VWAPs (Volume-Weighted Average Prices) are used to determine if price movements are "all on the same train."

📈 Question 2: How do experienced futures traders decide whether to hold a winning trade over the weekend?

A: Deciding to hold a winning trade, often called holding a "runner," depends primarily on two factors: the market narrative and the cushion of built-in points. The narrative is your inclination or assessment of what might happen over the weekend (such as a high probability that an external event, like a political shutdown, will be resolved). The "built-in points" refer to the profit cushion you already have in the trade; for instance, having 50 points of cushion or more makes holding a long position more secure if you expect a gap up.

🤔 Question 3: How should a new trader handle losing trades and drawdowns?

A: It is essential to develop an eternal perspective on trading challenges. This perspective reframes your losing week as tuition to the markets graduate school and a drawdown as an opportunity to prove your established process works beyond your comfort zones. Instead of getting consumed by the monetary loss, focus on the process. A practical application is to write down one lesson learned and one character quality (such as patience, discipline, or overcoming greed) you are developing after every losing trade, ensuring that nothing is wasted.