Bracketed Order

Bracketed Order allows traders/investors to manage the trade/position by �bracketing" an order for opening a position (i.e. the �main order�) with two opposite �side orders� for closing the position in order to limit losses and lock in profits, without having to constantly follow the position.
The order quantity for the �side orders� matches the original order quantity of the �main order�.

When the Bracketed Order is placed, the trader/investor must determine the corresponding prices for all the 3 component of the Bracketed Order (One �main order� for opening position and two opposite �side orders� that bracketed the �main order� for closing the position).
When one of the side orders is being executed, the other side of the order will automatically be cancelled.

Depending on the �main order� for opening a position, there are 2 types of Bracketed Orders:

1) BUY ORDER
The Buy Order will open the position by buying a security.
The price for the Buy Order can be set as a Market Order (to buy at the market price) or Limit Order (to buy at the Limit Price or lower).
The Buy Order will then be bracketed by:
a) Sell Limit Order: The Limit Price to sell should be above the Buy Order�s Price.
This Sell Limit Price serves as Profit Target in order to lock in profits.
b) Sell Stop Order: The Stop Price should be below the Buy Order�s Price.
This order serves to limit losses.
Other than Sell Stop Order, you can also use Sell Stop Limit Order or Sell Trailing Stop Order for this purpose.

2) SELL ORDER
The Sell Order will open the position by selling a security.
The price for the Sell Order can be set as a Market Order (to sell at the market price) or Limit Order (to sell at the Limit Price or higher).
The Sell Order will then be bracketed by:
a) Buy Limit Order: The Limit Price to buy should be lower the Sell Order�s Price.
This Buy Limit Price serves as Profit Target in order to lock in profits.
b) Buy Stop Order: The Stop Price should be above the Sell Order�s Price.
This order serves to limit losses.
Other than Buy Stop Order, you can also use Buy Stop Limit Order or Buy Trailing Stop Order for this purpose.

Example 1:
You place a Sell Order for Stock STU at the price of $20, along with a Buy Limit Order with Limit Price of $15 and a Buy Stop Order with Stop Price of $25.

If the price falls to $15 or lower (and never go up touching the Stop Price at $25), the Buy Limit Order will be triggered and sent to market to buy back the shares at $15 or lower. You will then realize at least $5 profit. In this case, the Buy Stop Order at $25 will automatically be cancelled.

If the price increases to $25 or higher (and never go down touching the Sell Limit Price at $15), the Buy Stop Order will be triggered and sent to market to buy back the shares at the market price. You will then realize at least $5 losses. In this case, the Buy Limit Order at $15 will automatically be cancelled.

Example 2:
You place a Buy Order Call Options of DEF at the price of $3.00, along with a Sell Limit Order with Limit Price of $4.00, and a Sell Trailing Stop Order with Trailing Amount of $0.50.
Since the current option premium is $3.00, the Initial Stop Price will be $2.50 (= $3.00 - $0.50).

If the option premium increases to $4.00 or higher, the Sell Limit Order will be triggered and sent to market to sell the options at $4.00 or higher. You will then realize at least $1.00 profit. In this case, the Trailing Stop Order will automatically be cancelled.

If the option premium increases to $3.20 first, that it starts to fall. In this case, the Stop Price would reset to $2.70 (= $3.20 - $0.50). It the premium continues to drop and pass $2.70 (the new Stop Price), the Sell Stop Order will be triggered and sent to market to sell the shares at the market price. You will then realize at least $0.30 losses. In this case, the Sell Limit Order at $4.00 will automatically be cancelled.

Advantage & Disadvantage of Bracketed Order:
The advantage of Bracketed Order is that it allows the trader/investor to manage the trade without having to constantly follow the position. They also can control how much they�re willing to lose and determine what the Profit Target Price is, based on their planned risk/reward ratio. Hence, this can help take some emotions out of your trading decision.

However, the disadvantage of Bracketed Order is that since you place a limit on how much profit you want to make, you might potentially �lose money� should the price continues to move to your expected direction. In order words, you could not let the profits run using this kind of order.

Disclaimer:
This order is a more complicated order, not all brokerages can accept this order.
Even the procedures, rules, terms and/or how to place this order may vary from one to another brokerage. Hence, you need to check with your own brokers specifically for the details before placing such order.

For the list of other types of order, go to: Types of Orders in Trading.

Market Analysis Video: Intense Bull vs Bear Battle in the Current S&P Market

The battle between the bulls and the bears continues in the S&P 500 with neither side able to gain the upper hand. This choppy trading action will eventually lead to a large move one way or the other. The bulls are betting that we are headed higher and the bears are betting that the economy is going to tank.

This new video shares some of the key technical points that are still in play and where the market needs to go in order to break out of the current logjam that it's in.

Other Learning Resources:
* FREE Trading Educational Videos with Special Feature
* FREE Trading Educational Videos: Learn Technical Analysis from Award Winning Author John Murphy

Related Topics:

* Options Trading Basic � Part 1
* Options Trading Basic � Part 2
* Understanding Implied Volatility (IV)
* Option Greeks
* Understanding Option�s Time Value
* Learning Charts Patterns
* Learning Candlestick Charts
* Getting Started Trading

THREE WHITE SOLDIERS - Bullish Candlestick Pattern


Three White Soldiers is a 3-day bottom reversal / bullish reversal formation.
It could occur at the end of a downtrend, or during a pullback within an uptrend, or at the support.

The appearance of Three White Soldiers pattern signals that higher prices are likely ahead.
This pattern is more powerful particularly when it appears after an extended decline followed by sideways movement.

Three White Soldiers pattern consists of 3 consecutive long white candlesticks that occur during a downward price trend.
The opening price of Candles 2 and 3 of the pattern should be lower than the previous day's closing price (i.e. The prices open within the previous day�s body).
And all the 3 candles should close near or at their highs, and make new highs in each day.

Since all the 3 candles should close near or at their highs, the upper shadows of the Three White Soldiers formation are normally short, or even no shadow in some cases.

This pattern is formed when the prices are in oversold condition, and indicate a sign that the bears might have lack of conviction in the current downtrend.
On 1st day, due to increasing buying pressure, the price closes above its opening price.
On 2nd and 3rd days, it seems that as if the bears want to regain controls, as the price opens lower than the previous day�s close. However, by the end of each day, the buyers� strength overcomes the earlier bears, causing the price to move up to a new closing high (i.e. the price closes at higher levels than the previous day�s closing price).

The Three White Soldiers pattern does not occur very frequently. However, when it does occur, traders / investors should be very alert, because their appearance indicates a period of strong buying pressure, and hence the reliability of this pattern is likely to be very high.

The reliability of this pattern tends to increase in the following conditions:
1) Longer white candlesticks� body.
However, it should not be too long as well because if the white candlesticks are too long (over-extended), traders / investors would worry that the market could be overbought by now and hence may pause accordingly.
2) Shorter upper shadow of the candles.
3) The opening prices of the 2nd and 3rd days can be anywhere within the previous day's body. However, it is better to see the opening prices to be above the middle of the previous day's body. The higher a candle opens compared to the prior candle, the stronger the chance of a continued reversal.
4) Increase in trading volume.

Although the reliability of this pattern is likely to be very high, but it is always better to substantiate this signal with other technical indicators to confirm that the momentum is actually changing.

To learn about other major candlestick patterns, please refer to the following:
Learning Candlestick Charts

Other Learning Resources:
* FREE Trading Educational Videos with Special Feature
* FREE Trading Educational Videos: Learn Technical Analysis from Award Winning Author John Murphy

Related Topics:
* Options Trading Basic � Part 1
* Options Trading Basic � Part 2
* Understanding Implied Volatility (IV)
* Option Greeks
* Understanding Option�s Time Value
* Learning Charts Patterns
* Getting Started Trading

Market Analysis Video: Determining Potential Downside Target for S&P Market

This new video shows how to use the combined analysis of Moving Average Crossover, Fibonacci Retracement, RSI (Overbought/Oversold), and Chart Pattern (i.e. Head and Shoulder pattern) in trying to predict where the market is moving to and the potential target price.

Other Learning Resources:
* FREE Trading Educational Videos: Learn Technical Analysis from Award Winning Author John Murphy
* FREE Trading Educational Videos with Special Feature

Related Topics:
* Learning Charts Patterns
* Learning Candlestick Charts
* Options Trading Basic � Part 1
* Options Trading Basic � Part 2
* Option Greeks
* Understanding Implied Volatility (IV)
* Understanding Option�s Time Value

Trading Educational Video: BEARISH ENGULFING Candlestick Pattern

Japanese Candlestick patterns have been popular and widely used by traders. There are several major Candlestick Patterns which most technical traders should be familiar with, such as: Bullish vs. Bearish Engulfing, Harami Bullish vs. Bearish, Piercing Line vs. Dark Cloud Cover, Hammer vs. Hanging Man, Inverted Hammer vs. Shooting Star, etc.

This video shows the real current example for BEARISH ENGULFING Candlestick Pattern in the Nasdaq market. Do watch it to see the more detail analysis and why you should pay attention to this pattern when it appears in the chart.

You may want to read this previous article to find out more about Bullish & Bearish Engulfing Candlestick Pattern.

To learn about other Japanese Candlestick pattern, please refer to the following:
Learning Candlestick Charts

Other Learning Resources:
* FREE Trading Educational Videos with Special Feature
* FREE Trading Educational Videos: Learn Technical Analysis from Award Winning Author John Murphy

Related Topics:
* Learning Charts Patterns
* Options Trading Basic � Part 1
* Options Trading Basic � Part 2
* Option Greeks
* Understanding Implied Volatility (IV)
* Understanding Option�s Time Value