thank you to all those who voted on the recent poll on the site. the overwhelming majority of voters prefer the current mix of both long and short set-ups. as i’ve stated before, i always strive to keep a blend of both long and short trade ideas at any one time although most of the time the trades will often be skewed to the long or short side based on current market conditions and my expectation of the next direction in the market. keep in mind that although i always prefer to align my trades with the current trend, what sets this site apart from many others is the fact that i am not a trend chaser, i am a trend predictor, hence the name ‘Right Side of the Chart’. trend chasers trade off the left side of the chart, like driving in the rear view mirror and as such, often end up given back a large percentage of their gains once it has become clear (by the usual trend following metrics) that the trend has finally changed. in other words, trend chasers tend to buy the dips (or short the rips) and often end up continuing to do so at market tops and bottoms. therefore, once it finally becomes clear to all that the trend has finally changed, not only have they given back a lot of the profits on their previous holdings, but they have also added more on the pullback (or bounce, if short) which only add to their losses. in addition to that, by the time they get confirmation that the trend has changed, it is usually too late to offer an objective short (or long) entry.
i will say that both styles have their pros and cons. trading off the right side of the chart (using the information on the left of the chart to predict what will happen to the right of the chart..i.e.- the future) is not an exact science and at times can be very difficult. however, as i always strive to post the best looking set-ups that i come across, long or short, this site has plenty to offer for both trading styles. even my market analysis, although i try to keep it as unambiguous as possible (i.e.- clearly stating my opinion vs. presenting various and often diametrically opposed scenarios) can be useful if your own opinion on the direction of the market differs from my own. for example, on my index charts i will usually identify key support and resistance levels or technical patterns and then share my opinion as to which way prices will move off those levels. if i am bullish and expect XYZ to break out of a symmetrical triangle pattern and you are bearish then you might decide to position for a downside break of the pattern or maybe be on the lookout for a failed upside breakout (bull trap) to short into. the value to be derived from these charts are the levels and patterns themselves, which might help to confirm other significant technical levels or patterns that you were already watching or maybe point something out that were unaware of.
again, thank you to all who voted in this latest poll. from time to time i will add new surveys to the right hand side of the page. i truly value your feedback as my goal is to make this site as useful as possible for all the various types of traders and investors that frequent the site. as mentioned recently, i am working on several new improvements to the site and although i still don’t have an ETA from my programmer, i am hopeful that these changes will be completed within the next few weeks.