Showing posts with label 3 Day Cycle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 3 Day Cycle. Show all posts

Friday, April 17, 2026

S&P 500 Strong Breakout Above All-Time High | Al Brooks

The daily chart of the SPY has broken above the all-time high. While this is positive for the bulls, the rally is becoming increasingly climactic, raising the likelihood of near-term profit-taking. Today is forming a climactic bull bar following yesterday's doji bull bar. That doji increases the probability of a pullback to yesterday's high within the next one to three trading days.
 
SPY (daily bars) — Close as of Friday, April 17, 2026: Three pushes and daily closes above the January all-time high.

» There are a lot of varying opinions about how the market moves, such as the Wyckoff method, Elliott Waves, Stacey Burke Trading, Steve Mauro’s BTMM, etc. However, one thing that all of these methods and models have in common is that the market moves in three pushes. After the third push in one direction, price typically moves into consolidation. During the second push, retail traders often assume the trend will continue and rush in. This creates a trap, where liquidity builds through clustered entries and stop-loss orders during the consolidation phase. By the third push, price is often already forming part of a broader peak (or trough) reversal pattern. « 
Cameron Benson, 2023.
The bulls are hoping for a close near today’s high, above the prior all-time high, while the bears are aiming for a selloff that leaves a tail above today's bar. Overall, the bulls have managed the rally well; however, it is now reaching a climactic stage, and risk for bulls is elevated. This increases the odds of a pullback over the next several bars and may limit further upside in the coming days as bulls begin taking partial profits.

Three weekly pushes off the March 30-31 major low and reversal.

Thursday, March 19, 2026

20-Week Cycle Low in the S&P 500 and US Stock Indexes | Major Low in July

The projected 20-week cycle low arrived today, Thursday, March 19, at 9:35 AM, 118.12 days after the 40-week cycle low on Friday, November 21, 2025, at 10:30—in the expected price zone
 
 SPY (daily candles): 20-week cycle from November 21, 2025 into March 17-19, 2026.
 
  SPY (daily bars): 20-week cycle from November 21, 2025 into March 19, 2026.
 
The final nominal 5-day cycle low within the nominal 20-week cycle was projected from the S&P futures low at the open on Sunday, March 15 at 5:00 p.m. (EDT) into the nested 20-week cycle low on Thursday, March 19 at 9:35 a.m. All projected times and dates of highs and lows in the thick blue summation lines, also shown in the charts below, are derived from current cycle periods and are—within the cyclic composite model—mathematically precise to eight decimal places. Cycle periods during the most recent 20-week cycle have been exceptionally stable and reliable; however, they may contract or expand by fractional harmonic offsets (IBPs and ITWs in Delta-lingo).
Tomorrow, March 20, 2026, at 10:46 a.m. EDT, Mercury stations direct precisely at the spring equinox as the Sun enters 0° Aries, with the New Moon conjunct Saturn and Neptune in early Aries.  
 

This creates a strong geocosmic reversal zone. 
Cycle lows or significant momentum shifts are likely in stocks, metals, grains, and interest-rate markets. 
 
Schematic trajectory of the current 40-week cycle from November 21, 2025 into the 18-month cycle low in mid-July (±).

At the same time, March triple witching and options expiration may drive higher volume and support a bullish turn in the US stock market into the next 10-week cycle, with an early April lower high. Lower highs and lower lows are expected into a major low of at least 18-month cycle magnitude by July 2026.
 
The upcoming 10-week cycle (80-day cycle).
 
The principle of harmonic nesting and the synchronicity of lows:
Hurst Method Nominal Market Cycle Chart by Richard Russell, Dow Theory Letters, 1985.


See also:

Friday, August 1, 2025

The Thursday-Friday-Monday Pattern | Tom Hougaard

What happens when we start out trading on a Monday, and the previous Thursday’s high was higher than Friday’s high? Over the last 52 weeks, there were 21 instances where the price action on Friday was unable to trade above the highest point of the previous day, Thursday. I then looked at what happened on the following Monday. If there was a holiday on the Monday, I would view the price action on the Tuesday. Let me show you some examples:

When Thursday’s high was higher than Friday’s high, Monday traded below Friday's low.
 
Considering the random nature of the markets on a day by day basis, there shouldn’t be a pattern, and if there is, I have found an edge to exploit. I was surprised to find that on 20 out of the 21 occurrences, the Dow traded lower on Monday, often lower than Friday’s low. 
 
Here is how to apply this strategy:
1) Switch to the daily time frame.
2) Confirm that Friday's high is lower than Thursday's high.
3) Mark the low of the Friday candle.
4) Move to a smaller time frame for entry.
5) Wait for the price to reach a bearish fair value gap.
6.) Enter a short position, expecting the price to hit Friday's low on Monday.
7) On Monday, monitor the regular New York trading session.

I am not in the business of deluding people, so here is an example where it did not work: 
 
It did not work: Monday did not get below the lows of Friday.  
 
And here is one I traded earlier in August 2019. I went home short over the weekend –always a very risky strategy – and I was rewarded for it (this time!):


I assume you notice that there are often gaps associated with the Thursday-Friday-Monday pattern. Gaps are an inevitable part of trading life. 

  
then how often is Thursday going to trade below the low of Wednesday?
What happens to Monday if the previous Friday trades below the highs of Thursday?

 
oooo0O0oooo
 
But is that actually true: does Tom Hougaard's Thursday-Friday-Monday Pattern really has an edge? Here are the results of the respective 2003-2025 backtests for the S&P 500, Nasdaq, Dow Jones, and Russell 2000:
 
S&P 500: 472 setups; 231 wins: 48.94% win rate: No edge.                            
Nasdaq: 449 setups; 249 wins: 55.46% win rate: Slight positive edge.              
DJIA: 458 setups; 223 wins: 48.69% win rate: No edge.                            
Russell 2000: 464 setups; 258 wins: 55.60% win rate: Slight positive edge.
 
 
                             
 
 
 oooo0O0oooo
 
Addendum, February 27, 2026:
 
 DJIA (cash): » When Thursday’s high was higher than Friday’s high, the following
Monday traded below Friday's low. « January 1, 2025 into February 27, 2026. True: 44.00%

 DJIA (futures): » When Thursday’s high was higher than Friday’s high, the following
Monday traded below Friday's low. « January 1, 2025 into February 27, 2026. True: 46.70%

DJIA (futures): » When Thursday was the High of the Week, and Thursday’s high
 was higher than Friday’s high, the following Monday traded below Friday's low. «
January 1, 2025 into February 27, 2026. True: 54.50%
 
oooo0O0oooo
 
In this video of May 18, 2026, Tom Hougaard updates his research on the "Thursday, Friday, Monday" trading pattern, a strategy he originally developed in 2018. The core mechanics of the pattern are relatively straightforward. It triggers when the market's Friday price action fails to break above the high of the previous Thursday. Historically, this specific setup signaled a high probability that the market would retest or trade below Friday's low on the following Monday. 
 
However, Tom’s recent deep dive reveals that the market has evolved. While his early research—based on a limited two-year sample—boasted an incredible 96% success rate (24 out of 25 trades), his analysis of data from 2024 and 2025 shows a much lower hit rate of approximately 62%.


Despite this statistical shift, the data highlights a unique characteristic: following this setup, there is a 40% frequency of "trend days," meaning the market opens and closes at opposite extremes of its daily range. Additionally, Tom notes a slight caveat for long weekends: when Monday is a market holiday, the pattern's objective is typically met on Tuesday instead.

Ultimately, Tom emphasizes that this setup is a market pattern rather than an infallible entry technique. He openly shares his frustration that market behavior has seemingly "normalized" or shifted since his initial discovery, rendering the strategy less reliable than it used to be. He concludes by stressing that long-term trading success relies less on blindly following this specific pattern, and more on a trader's ability to identify and capitalize on broader trend days.

Friday, April 4, 2025

Second Week of April Up 72% of the Time | Paul Ciana

Bank of America technician Paul Ciana notes that while April has historically been a strong month, "over the last ten years, the SPX trended down in April and bounced back in May," but week 2 of April has been up 72% of the time.
 
 BoA Paul Ciana: Week 2 of April up 72% of the time.
 
S&P 500 (30-Minute Bars).
Hurst's nominal 10-Day Cycle points to a low on Tuesday, April 8 around 8:30 a.m.
Week 3 of the 3-Week Cycle (click HERE).

SPY (Monthly Bars).
42-Month Kitchin Cycle, 18-Month Cycle, Premium-Discount Levels, and Buy Zone. 
Please note, David Hickson expects the current 18-Month Cycle to bottom around May-June;
three monthly pushes from the breakout to the downside (click HERE).
 
 
 

 CNN Fear & Greed Index: Extreme Fear.
 
April 4, 2025 @ 4.27 = lowest since May 11, 2022 @ 4.03. 
 
 Bloomberg: Nasdaq 100 dropped 20% and is now in a Bear Market.
 
BoA Michael Hartnett: S&P 500 buying levels now at 4,800-5,000. 
 

Saturday, September 14, 2024

Price Action Patterns & Entries at High and Low of the Day | Cameron Benson

Our focus is on price action trading at key levels: daily high and low, and the previous day's extremes. We examine how price reaches these levels — through Stair-Stepping or Ramping — and its subsequent behavior. The price action patterns include M's, W's, Double Tops/Bottoms, and Pin Hammers at daily highs and lows. 
 
 Stair-Stepping and M Patterns: These indicate potential reversals at daily highs or lows, 
with detailed entries and exits often managed through lower time frames.

Ramping is characterized by parabolic price movements and often leads to swift reversals. Observing tight candle patterns with minimal overlap helps identify strong trends and potential breakouts. We also look for specific patterns like Stair-Stepping and Three Pushes, with Peak Formations signaling possible reversals.

 
 Ramping Behavior: Recognized by tight, parabolic moves followed by rapid reversals. 
The ramp into extremes usually signals significant price shifts.


The following 5 minute charts of the NASDAQ are from last week
(September  9-13, 2024). They show Entry and Exit Strategies, using Pin Hammers and Engulfments for Entries, and managing stops based on price action, with adjustments for larger, more volatile bars.

Monday, September  9 (Day 1 of 3 Day Cycle):
 
 Identified an M pattern at the high of the day with a pin hammer and engulfment, suggesting a strong short entry.

Tuesday, September  10 (Day 2):

 
Despite a promising setup, a large entry bar resulted in a stop-out. 
Emphasis on avoiding large entry bars and managing risk.
 
Wednesday, September 11 (Day 3/1)
 
 Similar to previous days with M patterns and engulfments, also highlighting entry points and risk management.

Thursday (Day 2) and Friday (Day 3), September 12-13:
 
 Charts show patterns like descending triangles and W formations, 
with a focus on understanding price behavior relative to session timings.
 
Successful short-term trading relies on recognizing and acting upon the above presented price action patterns, managing entries and exits based on contextual behavior, and adapting strategies according to the specific market conditions within the 3 Day Cycle.
 

Thursday, September 5, 2024

On Range Expansion, Monkey Hammers, FAFO & NFP Weeks | Stacey Burke

» When you get a range expansion, the market is sending you a very loud, clear signal 
that the market is getting ready to move in the direction of that expansion. «     
 —  Paul Tudor Jones 
  
» FAFO [F*** Around and Find Out] is when you try and scalp the high or scalp the low - or jump in because a market is moving - because something is up high or down low. If other time frame traders are driving the move ... be careful - that's called FAFO and is not a specific 90/10 easy money making trading setup. That's called gambling.

If the train has left the station ... find your next best candidate for your session that was on your watchlist. How is price behaving in the timing window - at the levels? No 90/10 easy money best playbook trading setup that you can see that is from your rinse and repeat templates? Then shut it down and walk away - or do what the experts do and hunt for science projects.

Behaviour of the trader - mindset of the trader - best 90/10 easy money playbook trading setup - timings - levels - behaviour of price - execution skills of the trader - behaviour of the trader after the trade is completed. Rin$e and repeat means exactly that ... same setups over and over and over again .
«
    — Stacey Burke

 
» It's a Non-Farm Payrolls week - don't be surprised to see a four-day template. The day count doesn't change. Wednesday was the reset day, and now we are in the backside of the week. We might get a monkey hammer on Thursday, and Friday setting up a Non-Farm Payrolls bounce trade. «     — Stacey Burke
 
 

Fed Chair Powell's promise to lower rates may trigger market reversals (HERE & HERE & HERE).

See also: