Pre-Market Setup: Green, But Not a Chase
Markets aren’t open yet, but the tone is already clear.
Slightly green across the board. QQQ is leading, Dow is lagging, and VIX is easing but still elevated enough to matter. Futures are flat to modestly positive. There’s no urgency behind this move.
This is not a breakout setup. It’s a pause.
The market is holding steady ahead of inflation data and geopolitical headlines. That alone tells you everything—you’re dealing with a tape that can shift quickly.
This is not the environment to anticipate moves. This is where you let price confirm and then act.
How I’m Approaching Today
This is not a day to:
Chase the open
Force entries
Trade what you think should happen
This is a day to:
Let levels prove themselves
Stay selective
Keep execution tight
If CPI comes in hot, this market can unwind fast. If the data behaves and headlines stay constructive, then growth continues to lead.
The approach is simple:
Stay constructive, but do not get aggressive without confirmation.
Long-Term investment Focus: CRM
Salesforce is still the cleanest long-term setup on my board.
This isn’t about momentum. This is about valuation and structure lining up.
Trading around 170
Analyst targets in the 270 range
Strong free cash flow
Reasonable forward multiple
That’s a clear gap between price and value.
From a technical standpoint, the setup is even better because it’s not extended. RSI is still near oversold levels, which means it’s building a base rather than topping out.
Key levels:
Accumulation zone: 168–172
Resistance: 189, then 205
Longer-term upside: mid-270s
Risk: lose 160 on a weekly basis and the structure weakens
This is the type of name you build into with patience, not something you chase.
Swing Trades
AMD — Momentum With Structure
AMD is still one of the strongest momentum names out there, but it’s sitting right where traders make mistakes—at resistance.
RSI in the mid-60s
Strong growth profile
Price pressing into resistance
That combination attracts attention, but it also increases risk if you chase.
The better approach:
Wait for a controlled pullback into the mid-230s
Or take the breakout only if it holds
Targets:
- 242.5
- 248.5
Risk below:
- 229.9
This is a high-quality setup, but only if you respect the entry.
GOOGL — Cleaner, Slower, More Reliable
GOOGL is not going to move like AMD, but that’s exactly why it works in this environment.
RSI low 60s
Clean trend
Respecting levels
Entry:
316–318
Targets:
322
328
Risk:
Below 313.9
In a cautious bullish tape, this is the type of structure that tends to hold up better.
Day Trades
NVDA — Momentum Still in Control
NVDA continues to show relative strength, and that matters when QQQ is leading.
The key zone:
183.75–184
If that level holds, there’s room toward 185 and potentially 186.5.
If it fails, the trade is not there.
This is not a name to fade while momentum is intact. You either take confirmation or you stay out.
DAL — Tactical Reclaim
DAL is not a momentum name. This is a level-based setup.
Support near 67.65
Reclaim trigger above 68
Targets:
68.44
69
The edge here is not predicting a move—it’s waiting for buyers to step in and confirm the reclaim.
No confirmation, no trade.
Futures Setups
MES (S&P)
This is a confirmation trade, not anticipation.
Trigger:
Break and hold above 6870
Targets:
6888
6905
Risk:
Below 6856
If it doesn’t clear and hold, there’s nothing to do.
MNQ (Nasdaq)
This is the higher-beta version, and it moves faster if tech stays in control.
Trigger:
Hold above 25300
Targets:
25380
25455
Risk:
Below 25235
Same rule applies—wait for confirmation.
Priority for Today
If I’m ranking setups based on conviction:
- CRM (long-term value)
- AMD (momentum swing)
- MES (macro confirmation)
- GOOGL (trend continuation)
- NVDA (intraday momentum)
- MNQ (high-beta follow-through)
- DAL (tactical reclaim)
Risk
This is a headline-driven session.
Two things can shift the entire tape:
- Inflation data
- Geopolitical developments
That means:
Size appropriately
Wait for confirmation
Avoid chasing early moves
Final Thought
This is not a high-conviction breakout day.
It’s a controlled environment where patience matters more than aggression.
The traders who do well today won’t be the ones predicting the move.
They’ll be the ones reacting to it correctly.