Right thesis. Wrong timing. -$8,300.

Most of my trading journal never gets published. But last week I took an $8,300 loss — and how I handled it is exactly why risk management matters more than any single trade.

Thu Feb 26 - 3:47 PM

Thought Monday was going to be a slower trading day.

East coast getting hammered by snowstorm. Worst in years. Schools closed.

But several alerts going off right at the open -- stop loss triggered... stop loss triggered.

AI stocks slammed...

MGM. Stock down 4.5% at the open?!?!

Looking for news. No news.

Friday, looked like an A+ setup. U-Turn Velocity triggered, 4-1, 256% overall return the last two years. Last trigger hit profit in three days.

Earnings behind us, just reported BetMGM’s first profit. Revenue beat. Net income nearly doubled.

Bought the Mar 20 $39 calls at $0.70. Stock at $36.90.

One headline: “Viral Citrini Substack Post That Has Sparked New AI Worries on Wall Street”

That research was about AI disruption. That’s not MGM. The storm hit airlines. Airlines are down, makes sense.

The calls we bought at $0.25. Down 64%.

Tariff news? Shares were higher before the Supreme Court ruled tariffs were unconstitutional.

No idea why shares are down... now 5%.

Wrote the sell alert for members, complete opposite direction.

Trading volumes are light -- market is wrong.

Look at my own position. 25 days left on these. The selling doesn’t make sense.

But I’m wrong right now - rules are rules though.

Put my order to sell em at $0.25.

Market drops.

Cancelled. Won’t sell this far in the hole.

Sold em Wednesday at $0.35.

Today, heard the take profit alert for MGM.

MGM up 8.4%. Options hit the original 50% profit target.

Members exited at the stop. I held a two days longer.

System was right, the market has other plans.

That’s trading, onto the next.

-$8,300.