Trading Plan for July 15, 2010

Current Long Positions (stop-losses in parentheses): None

Current Short Positions (stop-losses in parentheses): ESV (42.84), MR (33.39), WTFC (37.71), SLAB (44.80), CERN (83.56), ALB (43.59), HIBB (26.65), LYV (11.95), WRC (40.95)

BIAS: 103% Short

Economic Reports Due Out (Times are EST): Producer Price Index (8:30am), Empire State Manufacturing Survey (8:30am), Jobless Claims (8:30am), Industrial Production (9:15am), Philadelphia Fed Survey (10am), EIA Natural Gas Report (10:30am)

My Observations and What to Expect:

• JPM reported earnings that beat street estimates, which resulted a small pop in the pre-market. Google reports after the bell.
• Jobless Claims and Producer Price Index hold today’s trump card.
• Futures up slightly – very fillable gap unless jobs & PPI create a major price swing.
• Volume on S&P was almost equal with the volume level on previous trading session. Bulls are not behind this rally – likely more to do with short covering than anything else.
• Doji candle yesterday was a good sign the markets may be starting to slow down a bit.
• Strong Jobless Claims + Strong PPI + Good JPM Earnings = Huge day in the market today (+1-2% or more)

Actions I Will Be Taking:

• Will likely add one more short position to the portfolio if we see a major breakdown in the market today. 
• Willing to commit 113% of my portfolio to the short side.
• If market shows no gumption to move lower, I will hedge portfolio with a large QID position to move bias back to 0%
• A break above the 1130 level/ previous high, would cause me to close my short positions out. 
• Target prices set for each position. Once/if reached, I will cover the entire position.
• No changes in my current stop-losses.