Handling Losers $ATOS, $CYBX

Losing is part of trading that is unavoidable.
 I am very well aware of it . when trading I can not control the market, its direction, or anything the market is doing . I can only control my reaction to the market movements which nobody can predict them with 100 % certainty. So,  all I can do is manage my risk , and my loses. Today was a perfect example how a trader can survive after being dead wrong, by simply having a plan on how to minimize the losses.

I had a red day today, but felt totally OK with it.
Regardless weather the trade is a winner or a loser , I always ask myself 3 question in order to determine weather it was a good trade or bad trade:

1) Was my criteria choosing the stock satisfied?
2) Was my entry per my plan with acceptable risk reward?
3) Did I take small planned loss or did something stupid? Did I take profit when I could or when I had to?

Trade No1 ATOS long
1) It was right stock to trade , it did satisfy my criteria : Big above avrg vol most important, to propel a solid move in any direction.
2) Yes , entry was on a pull back after higher lows and higher highs, with good risk reward.
3) Yes the loss was per plan, I obeyed it and considering the drop  ATOS made , I consider this  trade as an absolute winner, since saved me from huge loss had I kept and hoped to go "my way" I abandoned the idea for long when higher lows were violated.

The trade was good trade.

ATOS 10 cents los  2.52 stopped 2.42

Note in a hindsight: ( I write this few days later after re-reading my journal): i NOW  noticed the daily chart !!! The ticker was well overextended when I entered the long trade, almost 80% in two days. More important; it was overextended into major swing high resistance !!! Very difficult to be broken after huge run up. Had I noticed this when I was trading it, I would have probably flipped the losing long trade into short. This is my favorite short set up anyway, my bread and butter trade.

Trade No2 CRMD
1) Did not have the right volume to go long , but did have a very good daily and 15min  chart set up, a bullish flag with very high probability. Sized small just because of lower volume .
2) The entry was so so, did not wait for pull back  since it was on verge to go higher from  5.27 long
3) Did I take profit per planned risk reward? I planned for highr gain risk was 25 cents so really wanted a 50c gain or more. But  it showed weakness at 5.50 per chart and took profit same as risk 1:1 rr. So yes I traded the chart, and the price action , I did not wait to go to 6.00 , so I did not trade my wishes hopes and emotions .  I was not greedy so :

Yes the trade was good trade, it was not just  lucky trade done against  my rules.
 CRMD long 5.27 sold 5.45

CRMD daily               15 min bullish flag

Trade No3 CYBX
1)  It did have the huge vol
2.) The entry was good at a pull back on higher lows, 75.86 although my plan during pre market was to enter against 72.00 mark as a good support on daily chart. Missed that entry which was gonna be good green trade. But no regrets since the entry later was OK, buying the pullback with tight stop.
3)  I obeyed the stop and saved me from big loses had I kept hoping for a come back.

It was a good trade

CYBX good long loser

Trade No 4
CRM
1) Yes
2) Yes waited for break to confirm lower low after lower highs,got short on pull up
3) Br Even exit . not so well , should have lock in gains when dropped to LOD,

I re-shorted again 69.40 on pull up , stopped with 15c loss , a good stop, since saved me from much bigger loss.

The trade was ok , but not too good since did not lock in profit at LOD.

CRM 2 x short Br Ev and loss 15 cents

To conclude:

I was dead wrong with 2 trades regarding the  directions: ATOS and CYBX but managed to minimize the losses very well.

I was right on CRMD and on CRM but did not execute well  profit taking on CRM

There are days when I am dead right, like previous few  days, but still a lot of room for improvement

Note: Taking profits, Locking Gains when it cams to a good target  /LOD Exmple/