About Us

At Vantage Point Trading you will find interactive analysis on different markets via the Daily Blog;  information on building a trading plan, creating profitable strategies, trading psychology and technical analysis tutorials via the Trading Tutorials page; great product and trading course recommendations.

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More about Vantage Point Trading

Cory Mitchell, CMT began his professional trading career in 2005 as a strictly for profit trader on a proprietary trading desk.  No clients, no phones, just pure trading ….a man, his wits, a computer and the market… and to this day that is what I do.  Putting private and firm capital on the line everyday, in the trenches, with the only goal being to extract a profit.  If I don’t make a profit I don’t get paid.  I don’t get management fees, a salary, bonuses or health benefits.  My livelihood comes from being able to pull profits out of the market day after day….for the last 7 years..and likely for the next 60.

After trading for about a year, I realized that I could not just pound at my buy and sell keys all day.  Sometimes there just weren’t good opportunities present. So I started a group on Myspace (remember that relic?) where I posted my day trades, analysis and thoughts.  This gave me something to do when there were no good opportunities.  It helped others and it helped me to clarify my own views on market conditions and strategies.  The group ballooned, quickly attracting a couple thousand day traders.  But alas, as Myspace slowly became something akin to the current Plenty of Fish I decided to move my “journal” to my own website.  And so Vantage Point Trading was born.

Starting as a forum, then gradually becoming a blog and now a full site with article archives and unfortunately advertising, this site still remains at its fundamental core just my way of keeping myself disciplined to the ways that have made me successful in the markets.  The fact that readers may benefit from something I say is a contingent perk – I make posts and public declarations about strategies, trades and markets to clarify them for myself.  I put these things in public ink so I am more likely to stick with the trades I lay out and to give myself something to do when there is no good opportunities present.

Methodologies Employed

Keep it simple!

Technical analysis provides key inputs into the positions taken.  Fundamental and macro economic factors are also looked at but only to provide a context for current market moves, these are not used as trade inputs.  I need price confirmation to enter and exit; the reasons for why I am entering and exiting is always technical.

The technical analysis methods employed are simple and based almost exclusively on support and resistance levels and trendlines.

Chart pattern breakouts and measured moves are also used to establish likely points of exhaustion and capitulation.  Relative strength of stocks to an index, or an ETF to another ETF, is major insight which is constantly on my radar.  I only ever buy relatively strong stocks, and short relatively weak stocks.  The Average True Range (ATR) indicator is also used in analysis and for context, but not for trade signals.

A complex system does not mean more significant profits – as Einstein said, “Elegance is for tailors.”

Information on these methods can be found on the Tutorials page which provides a large list of articles I have written.  You will also find daily analysis relating to these topics on the Daily Blog.

These methods will be revealed on the site over time. They are simple (much more so than they may sound), and in simplicity is a good way to trade. Risk is always kept in control and known before the trade is entered. This is paramount for long term longevity in the markets. It is up to each individual trader to be disciplined enough to stick to the stops and risk levels they established prior to the trade.

Above all, one should focus on money management.  In order of importance, money management is first, exits are second and entries are less important than the former two.  This is the exact opposite of how most people view the market – they clamor to find the entry strategy that will get them in for the next big move…failing to realize that getting out with a profit and with minimal risk is the only thing that will lead to long term success.

Patience is the key virtue.  I wait for moments where I can take a trade with almost zero risk – I know immediately if I am right or wrong and can exit with very small loss if needed. Disciple in the next key component is getting out immediately if price is not acting how I expect it to.

Cory Mitchell, CMT

Cory Mitchell began trading in 2005.  He has a degree in business, the Chartered Market Technician (CMT) designation, is a member of the Market Technicians Association and the Canadian Society of Technical Analysts.  He has been heard on radio interviews across the US, and is a regular contributor to Stock & Commodities magazine, Investopedia, DailyFX, Benzinga, ForexPros, Oil and Gas Investments Bulletin, The Daily Abstract as well as many other sites.

Trading extensively in stocks, forex, ETFs, futures, options and CFDs, Cory has worked for and with Fortune 500 companies managing and implementing foreign exchange strategies.  Currently Cory is an independent proprietary trader focusing on stocks, ETFs and forex.  His day is divided between trading and writing about the financial markets.
You can view article archives here (currently this is only a partial list): http://vantagepointtrading.com/tutorials