2026-02-13 · 4 min read
A qualitative run-through of every trade from 2026-02-13: setups, thought process, and outcomes.
Day P&L: $-3488.51 | Total R: -9.11R
NCI was moving around a lot early on, and I thought I had a good read on the sub VWAP trap setup. I took a few trades, but the tape didn’t cooperate, which was a theme for the day. I ended up with 40 trades, but only managed to keep 15 of them in the green. It was frustrating watching names like MLEC and NCI tease potential but ultimately fade back, especially after making some poor entry decisions.
I kicked things off with MLEC, trying to catch a bull flag after it had shown some strength. I entered at 11.68, but it quickly reversed, and I ended up cutting it for a loss of over $1,000. The stock had a low float, which usually means it can move sharply, but it didn't hold its gains, and I got caught in the trap. The level was there, but the volume just wasn’t strong enough to sustain the move. That was a tough lesson right off the bat.
Next, I switched to NCI, where I caught a nice sub VWAP trap that worked out for a quick win, but the momentum didn’t last. I went long at 2.93 and exited at 3.06, which felt good, but then I gave back some of those gains on subsequent trades as I tried to recapture that initial momentum. The stock was trading with relatively low volume, and it didn’t have the strength to keep pushing through, leading me to overtrade in a choppy environment.
MLEC continued to be a focal point for me, and I tried to catch a washout long at 8.99, which gave me a decent bounce. I had a small win there, but then I got greedy and chased a few more entries that didn’t give me the same follow-through. The stock kept testing lower levels, and I wasn’t reading the tape closely enough to see the selling pressure. It’s a reminder that just because a setup looks good doesn’t mean the market will agree.
Around mid-morning, I switched gears to FGL, thinking I could catch a washout long. I entered at 21.42, but it didn’t hold, and I ended up taking a small loss. It was a similar story with NCI, where I tried to catch a few washout longs and got chopped up. The overall market sentiment felt heavy, and I was trying to fight that instead of just waiting for clearer opportunities.
What I did well was recognize when to cut my losses and move on. I wasn’t stubborn about holding onto trades that weren’t working. However, what I did poorly was overtrade in a market that didn’t have the momentum I wanted. I was chasing setups instead of waiting for the right conditions, which led to more losses than necessary.
Trading grade: C. I had a lot of trades, but the quality of my entries was lacking, and I gave back too much on poorly timed moves. My average loss was larger than my average win, which is not a sustainable approach.
One takeaway for tomorrow is to focus on patience. I need to wait for setups to confirm before jumping in, especially in a market that’s showing mixed signals. It’s all about finding that balance between being active and being smart.
Trade charts
Selected notable trades (by P&L) with time-of-day vs price (entry → exit).
MLEC 09:11:39 – 09:16:00 — P&L $-1056.07
Entry $11.68 — Exit $11.07 $-1056.07
MLEC 10:41:42 – 10:41:55 — P&L $-527.30
Entry $10.38 — Exit $10.12 $-527.30
MLEC 11:02:16 – 11:07:17 — P&L $-508.50
Entry $10.30 — Exit $9.81 $-508.50
MLEC 10:49:17 – 10:50:53 — P&L $-502.20
Entry $9.82 — Exit $9.54 $-502.20
NCI 10:05:05 – 10:05:37 — P&L $+476.57
Entry $3.22 — Exit $3.32 +$476.57