Putting the process before profitability…

Listen, nobody’s perfect. Everyone eventually puts on a losing trade; it’s an inevitable fact of life in this business. Today, the guys are going to walk you through a few lessons they’ve learned over the years about maintaining consistent profitability.

Crypto has been around for quite a while but there are still many who don’t fully understand how it works or how it will change the industry further down the road. Tokenization has big implications and can potentially become a great equalizer. On this week’s episode of Limit Up! Brock Connelly of RoundBlock Capital is here to explain crypto futures.

Brock shares his advice for traders looking to get into the crypto space and talks about some of the common misconceptions people have about bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Listen for Brock’s tips and learn more about his new venture RoundBlock Capital. Stay tuned for this week’s MARKet Reaction.

Following up on last years list years list of '5 Steps For Creating A Great Trading Plan In 2019', Jack, Dan, John and Mick are back to give you a fresh perspective for 2020! 

Got another one this morning! After the 8:30 CT bell, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures both notched another high print on their belts. Dow futures came close, falling shy by just a few ticks, and then came roaring back about an hour later to complete the trifecta! 

I wouldn’t necessarily say we’re off to a booming start, but the S&P 500 futures are up just over 1% since the Dec. 31 close, and has printed a new all-time high in 4 of the 6 trading sessions so far this year.

After sustaining early losses before markets in Asia closed early Monday morning, stocks in the U.S. and Europe slowly began to recover, with the biggest boost coming right on the 8:30 CT opening bell. In the first 2 hours of regular trading hours (RTH), the S&P 500 futures had rallied more than 20 handles, and the Dow and Nasdaq followed close behind.

It’s debatable to say which sector was really the front runner, but most people will say it was tech. In the same time period that the S&P rallied 20 handles, the Nasdaq rallied more than 200 points, with Amazon and Cisco leading the charge.

Trading is an adrenaline rush. But when that rush starts to feel like a drag, it might be time to look for your next steps. Our guest this week on Limit Up! spent 31 years on the floor before making the transition to academia and private consulting. John Nyhoff, whom Jeff used to trade with on the floor, stopped by to chat about what it’s like to make the leap.

John discusses the adjustment period he underwent just to get used to the amount of free time he’d acquired thanks to school breaks. John also talks to Jeff about his predictions for where the financial market is headed in 2020.

This year, Topstep funded traders took hundreds of thousands of dollars out of the markets without risking a dime of their own capital. As we wind down 2019, we though it might be inspiring to showcase a few of the biggest checks we wrote in the past 12 months. 

Today, we're counting down the top 3 biggest weekly withdrawals of 2019.  Starting with...

Just yesterday, we were celebrating market highs. And then everything changed. 

Last night (Chicago-time), the U.S. ordered an airstrike that took out a top Iranian general who, by most accounts, was very dangerous, but much beloved by Iran. Iran vowed that it will revenge the death, while the U.S. and its allies in the region are taking measures to minimize any potential retaliation. 

And markets are responding in kind. February Crude Oil ($CLG0) and Gold spiked—as you could imagine. Crude Oil is up 3.7%, or $2.25, at writing, while Gold gained 1.4%, or $21. Simultaneously, the budding tension caused traders to sell off equity futures in favor of the perceived safety of U.S. Treasury Bonds. 

Regardless of what happens today, the landscape shifted... at least for now. Here's what you have to know and, more importantly, what you have to do.

ALL-TIME HIGHS! At least in Dow, Nasdaq and S&P Futures. Thanks Santa! 

But how much value does Santa really bring to the stock market after his rally? Well, according to the Stock Trader’s Almanac, the S&P 500 has a high historical probability of posting an average gain of 1.3% in the last five trading days of the year and the first two trading days of the new year (The Santa Claus Rally). 

This year, our Topstep funded traders took hundreds of thousands of dollars out of the markets without risking a dime of their own capital. As we wind down 2019, we though it might be interesting to showcase a few of the biggest withdrawals from the last 12 months. 

So without further ado, here are the top ten largest weekly withdrawals of 2019—plus a few honorable mentions for good measure.