There’s a difference between having a vision for the market and knowing how to execute trades in real time. You can have the best long-term read in the world — the kind that plays out perfectly over six months — and still lose money trying to trade it day by day.
This is where most people mess up.
They get attached to their macro outlook. Maybe they think a recession is coming because inflation is ticking higher, layoffs are starting, and consumer spending is on the brink. Maybe they’re even right. But what they forget is that markets don’t move in straight lines. And just because you see the big picture doesn’t mean you can trade it yet.
Trading isn’t about being right. It’s about timing.
2 clocks, 1 market
Think of it like running a company. You’ve got a 10-year vision — a roadmap of where you’re going and what needs to happen to get there. But then you’ve also got a day-to-day operation.
You’ve got to decide what the team is doing tomorrow, what meetings are happening next week, and how to fix what’s broken now.
Markets work the same way. There’s the long-term vision — maybe that the S&P 500 is heading lower, or that the Health Care (XLV) sector is undervalued, or that Consumer Discretionary (XLY) names are going to roll over.
But when you’re placing trades, you need to operate on a completely different clock. You’ve got to ask…
What’s the price action saying today? Where’s the liquidity? What’s the energy right now?
Sometimes your short-term setups align with your long-term thesis. Great. That’s when you size up. Other times, the tape is strong even if the fundamentals are weak. That’s not a contradiction — it’s just a signal that execution needs to wait.
Don’t trade your bias
The worst thing you can do is try to force a trade just because your macro thesis says it’s time. Markets don’t care about your bias. They move when they move. If your read is bearish but the market is printing higher highs and higher lows, you need to sit on your hands or switch gears.
This is especially true in chop.
Right now we’re in a range — high volatility, no clean direction. It’s easy to get tricked into thinking every gap is the start of a move. But without a catalyst, it’s just more chop. You have to trade what’s in front of you, not what you wish was there.
Vision matters. But execution is everything.
Kane Shieh
Kane Shieh Trading
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*This is for informational and educational purposes only. There is inherent risk in trading, so trade at your own risk.
P.S. Get Roger’s Top Predictions for Q2 and More!
Tariffs, interest rates, volatility, assets, metals, commodities and crypto were not spared in his market forecast for coming months.
