2025-12-31 · 4 min read
A qualitative run-through of every trade from 2025-12-31: setups, thought process, and outcomes.
The morning started with INBS gapping up, which immediately caught my attention. The healthcare sector has been showing some volatility lately, and with INBS floating relatively light, I knew it could move. My first trade was a long entry at 6.91, playing a sub VWAP trap setup. The stock had pulled back below VWAP but started to reclaim it. I managed to exit at 7.01, for a solid gain of $301. The tape showed buyers stepping in as price approached VWAP, which gave me confidence to take that initial position.
However, I quickly ran into some trouble with my next trades. I entered again at 7.22, still looking for that quick bounce, but sellers were heavy, and I exited at 7.11 for a loss of $434. The stock simply didn’t hold the level I expected, and the bids were dropping, indicating a lack of support. The same pattern repeated with my next entry at 7.24; I got in hoping for a similar bounce, but it faded back down, and I had to cut it at 7.11, taking another loss of $406. It was clear that the market was choppy, and INBS was struggling to find its footing.
After those early setbacks, I took a step back and reassessed my strategy. I waited for a clearer setup and re-entered at 7.45. This time, the trade worked out nicely. I exited at 7.62, netting $448. The stock started to show some strength, and the bids were holding up, indicating that buyers were finally stepping in. I could see the momentum shifting, which gave me the confidence I needed to make that play.
However, I got a bit overzealous on my next trade at 8.20, where I tried to catch a washout long. I ended up taking a significant loss of $885 as the stock failed to hold, and I had to exit at 7.92. The bids were staying heavy, and it was clear the buying pressure wasn’t there. I also took another shot at a higher entry of 8.49, but it didn’t work out, and I lost $428. Each of these trades was a reminder that timing is everything, and I need to respect the tape.
Midday brought a shift as I caught a classic breakout at 8.68, entering with a solid setup. The stock started to move nicely, and I exited at 9.20 for a profit of $1,092. This trade felt different; the stock was breaking out above previous highs, and the volume was there to support it. I capitalized on that momentum, which helped offset some earlier losses.
Later in the day, I tried to play a washout long at 9.53, but I had to exit at 9.69 for a loss of $400. The stock pulled back again, and while I initially thought it could bounce, the sellers were aggressive. I did manage to recover some of that with another washout long at 10.78, exiting at 11.02 for a profit of $707. The stock showed signs of strength, and I was able to catch that upward movement.
Overall, it was a day of mixed results. I had to navigate some tough tape, particularly with INBS, which was volatile and showed both strength and weakness. I executed some good trades but also made mistakes by jumping in too quickly without waiting for confirmation.
What I did well: I capitalized on a solid breakout trade that significantly boosted my P&L.
What I did poorly: I overtraded during the choppy action early in the day, leading to unnecessary losses.
Trading grade: B — Managed to recover with solid setups later, but early losses were avoidable.
Looking ahead to tomorrow.
Trade charts
Selected notable trades (by P&L) with time-of-day vs price (entry → exit).
INBS 13:19:20 – 13:22:16 — P&L $+707.17
INBS 11:48:17 – 11:53:47 — P&L $+1091.53
INBS 09:57:27 – 09:58:05 — P&L $-884.62
INBS 09:50:29 – 09:50:41 — P&L $+447.81
INBS 09:42:10 – 09:42:27 — P&L $-434.41