Traders often assume summer means slow markets, sideways price action, and nothing worth trading. In 2025, that assumption couldn’t be further from reality.
Between economic reports, policy shifts, and tariff headlines, price action keeps finding reasons to move.
If you trade an index future like the E-mini S&P, opportunity still shows up — even in August.
E-mini S&P 500 Futures September 2025 contract. TradeStation symbol ESU25. Tuesday, August 12, 2025. Blue 1 = stopped-out long attempt. Green arrow = winning long trade.
A First Trade That Went Sideways
In yesterday’s Futures Trading Lab, my first trade didn’t go the way I hoped. It was a loss.
At the blue #1 on the chart, I went long during a pullback and got stopped out.
You might wonder, “Hima, why buy when the candles were stacked red?” Earlier, I expected the pullback to hold at a support level — a setup I’ve used successfully many times. But I overlooked something important.
In choppy markets, consolidation zones make a typical retracement entry way riskier.
The Missed Shift
The consolidation built around 6440.00. When conditions changed, I didn’t pivot quickly enough. I’ve made that shift in other trades, but not here.
Getting stopped out is part of trading — even when a setup checks every box in the plan. Market conditions can flip, and they can do it fast. And sometimes this weakens the setup.
The real test is what happens next, how you react after such a loss. The good news was I didn’t chase. I waited for price action to settle, then acted when a new setup felt clear and strong.
The Trade That Turned the Day Around
Setup #2 — the green arrow on the chart — was my path back to positive.
Around 9:50 a.m. Eastern, price formed a low that matched a pattern I teach in the Advanced RSI Power Zones System. Even a 15-second chart can serve up advanced signals when you know what to look for.
I went long at 6413.75, took two points on the first contract, then moved the stop on the second to a max two-point risk.
Locking in a neutral worst-case lets you follow the trade without emotional pressure.
Managing a Fast Exit
The upward push moved quickly. I trailed my stop at least four times before a pullback tagged me out at 642100..
I had aimed to move up the trailing stop order to 6422.50, but the super fast pace of the action didn’t give me time to adjust the order. That happens.
A winning exit is still a winning exit.
The Lesson for Choppy Conditions
Wide swings and messy conditions don’t mean there’s nothing to trade. They mean staying focused, reacting quickly, and taking what the market offers.
That approach turned a rough start into a modest win — and kept me ready for the next trade.
It’s not about starting perfect. It’s about finishing with discipline.
If you’ve missed other posts like this one, browse the blog archive here for more trade breakdowns and mindset lessons.
~Hima
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