ICTShark's Public Journal

[ICTShark]

Trading opportunities of Thursday, January 30.

Missed Trade #1

I did not enter this long trade because of the divergence between NQ and ES. While NQ removed liquidity above PDH during the London session, ES did not. I saw this as a sign of weakness at the time.

In hindsight and after more rigorous study, I must conclude that I should have ignored this fact because the retracement caused by the divergence (SMT) had already occurred before the market opened.

It was, therefore, a valid setup. The entry should have taken place at FVG or IFVG (BPR)

Missed Trade #2

When this short trade was forming, I was frustrated with missing the previous long trade, so I wasn’t focused enough on what was to come.

Both ES and NQ removed liquidity above the London session high and formed a divergence with YM. Subsequently, the NQ formed a bearish FVG, and the price showed that it respects it and thus will continue to the downside, at least for a while.

Since the market opened with a gap up and there was an hourly FVG below the swing low, it made sense that the price would want to look in that direction.

It should be noted, however, that this was a generally aggressive trade, as there was no MSS before the theoretical entry, nor was the 1-minute bullish FVG (bullish inefficiency sequence) completely overcome. However, Michal also executes such trades, which is undoubtedly due to his greater knowledge and experience.

Note: In unclear cases, it is better to wait for confirmation of the PD array in the form of a momentum candle forming in the expected direction (see screenshot of the 1-minute chart).

Trade #1

The main reason I entered this trade was the belief that the price would not want to trade below the previous day’s low. Just look at the hourly chart and what the price did during the previous (FOMC) day, and you will understand why.

The logic behind my long trade was as follows. While the NQ removed liquidity below the current low of the day, the ES did not. My entry took place on the bullish FVG, which, together with the marked IFVG, formed the BPR.

Price started moving in my direction after my entry and allowed me to move my stop loss. Unfortunately, it then reversed and hit it.

This long trade ended with a loss of 0.5R.

Missed Trade #3

I really, really, really wanted to enter this long trade. Unfortunately, I didn’t identify any divergence to confirm this price reversal and had to watch the price go in my expected direction without me.

Michael has always stated that divergence (SMT) is only used to confirm a trade idea and not as the main reason to enter. Many of his trades are not preceded by divergence. However, I feel much more confident when some form of manipulation occurs before my entry.

I guess this is an area I will have to explore in more detail. I often identify a great spot where the price turns in my expected direction, but no divergence precedes these price reversals.

My reason for entering this long trade is as follows. Both ES and NQ have removed liquidity below the current low of the day and were around 75% of the retracement of yesterday’s range (also an OTE level). As I stated, I did not expect a break of the previous day’s low, and it was approaching lunchtime when at least a retracement, if not a complete reversal, could be expected. So, this is the main reason (logic) behind this trade idea.

As you can see from the screenshots, my thinking was correct. An entry on IFVG would be perfect.

Trade #2

I finally found a trade opportunity that fit my criteria.

I was still convinced the price would rise toward the day’s high, so I entered a 15-second bullish FVG, preceded by a divergence with the ES. My POI was the 15-minute FVG that formed in the same area (during the same time) in the ES market.

Although I was confident that the price would rise to the current high of the day, my target was the 5-minute FVG above, which provided a solid 1:3 RRR. My trades are often between 1:2 and 1:4, so I was happy with that risk/reward ratio.

As you can see in the screenshot, the price briefly after my entry headed in my direction, so I moved my stop loss below the relatively equal lows with the expectation of seeing a sharp move up. However, instead, the NQ price formed a divergence with the ES, reversed sharply, and wiped out my moved stop loss.

Do you see how a divergence can foreshadow a price reversal? That’s the real reason I like them so much.

Either way, the trade ended with a minor gain of 0.6R.

Looking at the charts now, I can see that it was possible to re-enter using the 15-second IFVG since the narrative remained the same. However, I was so tired by then that I didn’t even think about it.

I’m getting very good at estimating where the price is headed. Now, I just need to hone those trade entries

Total gain: 0.1R

[ICTShark]

These were trading opportunities of Friday, January 31.

Trade #1

Entering this short trade was a mistake. After the market opened, the price tested the hourly bullish FVG and showed that it respected this area, information that I unfortunately ignored.

Instead, I focused on the fact that NQ removed liquidity above the previous hourly swing high while ES did not. In addition to this divergence, I was also mindful that we opened with a gap up, and thus, there is a lot of sell-side liquidity below.

Shortly after my entry, it turned out that my trading idea was wrong, and I was stopped out at the full stop loss (-1R).

Missed Trade #1

I was not aware of this setup at the time it was created. It wasn’t until I saw Zeussy’s video on X that I realized that this long trade made perfect sense.

As in the case of NQ, the ES price held higher due to the hourly FVG forming strong support. Therefore, it should have been clear to me that the price may want to move higher to the unfilled FVG (SIBI), which was also present in the NQ market.

The potential of that long trade was over 5R, which is very decent.

Trade #2

This was the most obvious trade of the day for me.

Reasons to enter this short trade:

• Unfilled ORG below.
• SMT with ES.
• Bearish hourly FVG.
• Untested bullish 15-minute FVG below (target).
• Price has been rising since the opening, and with lunch approaching, we can expect at least a minor retracement.

The trade offered potential up to 5R. However, I took a few partials, so the result was 3.2R.

Total gain: 2.2R

[ICTShark]

Yesterday, (Monday, January 3) I entered only one trade.

Due to Trump’s tariff wars, the market opened well below the closing price on Friday. I knew the market would want to fill this huge gap, at least partly, but I expected some form of manipulation beforehand.

On days like this, I tend to be extremely cautious and picky. Profits must be taken quickly, as a price reversal can happen at any time.

Shortly after the opening, the NQ price moved into the NWOG area, but it did not do so in the case of the ES. This is a clear divergence or SMT. However, ES removed liquidity above the London session high, which was made up of EQHs.

My entry occurred on the 15-second chart inside the bearish breaker and FVG after the MSS.

I planned this trade as a scalp only, so I exited with a quick 2.5R profit on the edge of the 15-minute FVG. I knew this area could cause a price bounce, so I didn’t want to take any additional risk.

Missed trade

As I noted above, my bias today was bullish. So when the price revisited the marked hourly FVG, I was watching to see if it would surpass or bounce off it.

There was also a bullish FVG in the ES market, but it was untested. Therefore, the reaction to these FVGs was crucial to me.

As you can see in the screenshots, the price shot up sharply and closed above the 1-minute bearish FVG. However, before I could decide whether to enter the trade or not, the price started to run away from my ideal entry point. I didn’t want to chase the trade, so I let it go. However, it should be noted that this was a valid setup with a lot of potential, at least 5R.

Total gain: 2.5R

[ICTShark]

Some trades are really fast, and others are a pain in the ass. My trade from yesterday was one of the latter.

On February 4, I decided to trade the ES market as I noticed an interesting setup was forming.

I speculated that ES would remove liquidity above the current HOD created during the overnight session. The ES price got above the hourly bearish FVG and then began to retrace towards the newly formed bullish 15-minute FVG. As you can see in the screenshots, these PD arrays supported the ES price, and it started to move higher.

As I always do, I was waiting for some form of manipulation. It came after 13:00 when the price started to drop sharply into the area of the 1-minute FVG and formed a divergence with the NQ. The trade entry happened when I saw that the 15-second FVG held the price.

Later, when my stop loss was already above my entry, I added to the position. I doubled the position size, but the risk remained the same! I never increase the risk, only the position size.

The trade offered a cumulative profit of almost 12R. However, since I don’t trade ES often, I miscalculated the position size and ended up with only a 4R profit. Never mind, I learned something new

Total gain: 4R

[ICTShark]

We have NFP week, so trading is a bit more tricky. However, despite this, I found a decent trading opportunity on Wednesday, February 5.

I noticed that textbook EQHs had formed on the hourly chart of NQ, where PDH was also located. My biases were, therefore, bullish.

I was waiting for a situation in which the market would make it clear that it wanted to go higher. This occurred the moment the price broke out of the large range bearish FVG and subsequently retraced back into that area. My trade entry occurred immediately after the price tested the 9:30 opening price.

Note that my entry also took place inside a 1-minute bullish order block.

Once I saw that the price was about to move in my anticipated direction, I decided to add to the position on the pullback.

I originally wanted to hold the position all the way to PDH, but due to the unpredictability of the NFP week, I ended the trade above the hourly swing high, i.e., in the buy-side liquidity area.

I made 4R on this trade, but as you can see, the potential was much, much bigger. However, I am happy with the outcome.

Total gain: 4R

[ICTShark]

Here’s my trade from Friday, February 7.

I found a trading opportunity shortly after the NFP was announced. I expected the price to want to remove liquidity above the high of the NFP candle, formed at 8:30. So, when I noticed that the lower edge of the 1-minute FVG was holding the price, I started looking for an entry on the 15-second chart.

The entry setup consisted of a bullish breaker and the FVG.

The price action offered a few additional small buys to add to the position, so even though the overall move was small, I was able to make a little over 3R on it.

As you can see from the screenshots, I ended the position early. I did not want to expose myself to increased volatility after the market opened. The 3R profit is sufficient, so why take unnecessary risk?

Total gain: 3R

[ICTShark]

Yesterday, February 10, I was completely out of sync with the market.

Trade #1

I wanted to go short because the NQ price had been going up since Sunday’s opening and reached the hourly bearish FVG. On the chart, I spotted relatively equal lows around the NY midnight opening price, which would be a great target.

Just before the opening, I noticed that NQ price formed a classic ICT 2022 YouTube setup on the 5-minute chart, which reinforced my belief that the price would want to go lower.

Immediately after the market opened, ES and YM started to fall rapidly, confirming my assumption.

However, when I entered the short trade, I was not aware of the 15-minute bullish FVG (green rectangle/area). I simply forgot to mark this PD array and, as a result, opened a position that I would never have entered under normal circumstances.

Never mind, everyone makes mistakes. The trade ended in a -1R loss.

Trade #2

My second trade was based on the same premise as the first one.

Since I was still unaware of the 15-minute bullish FVG, I attempted to re-enter after the price got below the 1-minute bullish FVG.

My unawareness was quickly punished with another -1R loss.

This is what happens when one fails to perform a thorough analysis

Total loss: -2R

[ICTShark]

Yesterday, February 11, was the day before CPI day. Therefore, I was expecting a bad price delivery. However, despite the poor environment, I could make one trade.

Trade #1

As you can see on the hourly chart, the price moved higher during the morning session but did not get above PDH in any of the markets monitored (ES, NQ, YM). Subsequently, NQ price began to retrace towards the hourly bullish FVG, which also formed in the other two markets.

I really liked how the price first drove through this FVG and then immediately returned above it, which is very visible on the 15-minute chart. If I have a directional bias, I see this situation as a form of manipulation.

Once I saw that price respected this area, I decided to enter a long trade. The 15-second chart shows quite clearly what entry setup I used.

Unfortunately, my entry happened too soon. After 13:00, price decided to test the 15-second FVG below one more time, and I was kicked out of my position.

1R loss.

Trade #2

However, the previous loss did not upset me because I knew that price would likely try to attack PDH. So, a few minutes later, another opportunity presented itself, and I took it.

My entry occurred in the BPR area (IFVG + FVG), further boosted by the 13:00 opening price. Keep an eye on the opening prices of the hourly candles. They are crucial!

Also, now my trade idea has been supported by the SMT with the ES.

I wasn’t prepared to hold this trade until PDH, as I kept in mind that due to tomorrow’s CPI day, price delivery is not as predictable as on other days. Therefore, I ended this long trade in the area of the 15-minute FVG above.

It must be added, however, that although the NQ price ultimately did not get above its PDH, it did in the case of ES and YM.

With partial profits, the total profit on this trade was 3.9R.

Total gain: 2.9R

[ICTShark]

Here’s my trade from Thursday, February 13.

On this day, I decided to trade the ES market because NQ was already trading above its PDH while the ES price was just about to attack this level.

My entry occurred at the beginning of the macro (9:50 - 10:10) and was supported by a combination of IFVG and FVG (BPR). I really like the overlap of these two PD arrays

I planned to hold this long position all the way to PDH. However, the price made a sharp reversal and took my trailing stop loss.

So, from an open profit of 4R, thanks to my partials, the trade ended with a total profit of 2R.

Looking back at the 1-minute chart, I must add that it was possible to re-enter the trade.

[ICTShark]

Friday, February 14, was quite a challenging day.

Since the price expanded upward on Thursday, I did not expect a big range day on Friday.

I knew that if the market gave me a chance, I would have to take profits very quickly. This is something that comes from experience.

After the market opened, a 1-minute FVG formed on the ES, and since I was bullish, I saw this area as a great opportunity to enter a long trade. It was also not far from PDH, which ES and NQ had already surpassed during the Asian session. Therefore, I expected this zone to act as support to help the price get above the high of the London session.

As you can see from the screenshot, after breaking the 15-minute bearish FVG, the price started to form 1-minute candles with very little range. I don’t like to see this because after this often comes a reversal, which also came.

Once the market breaks the FVG, I always want to see a quick move from it. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen here, so I had to exit. I still made 2.5R, which is a good result on a day like this.

[ICTShark]

Last week was really tough.

Monday - Washington’s Birthday
Tuesday - Terrible price action, just as you’d expect. Michael advises that we shouldn’t trade on the day after a holiday. Excellent tip!
Wednesday - The only decent trading day with many opportunities.
Thursday - Sell-off day.
Friday - Sell-off day.

Here are my trades and observations.

Trade #1, Wednesday, February 19

This trade, like the next one, was based on my incorrect expectation of higher prices.

My belief was that the price would want to move higher after removing liquidity below the hourly swing low, located inside the hourly bearish FVG.

As you can see from the screenshots, I was wrong. In retrospect, I can see that I ignored the bearish order flow that prevailed on the hourly and 15-minute time frames.

I was also unaware of the bearish 15-minute FVG at the time of trade entry, which successfully prevented the price from rising. I simply overlooked it and, therefore, did not incorporate it into my analysis.

My aggressive entry on the 1-minute bullish FVG was quickly “rewarded” by hitting a stop loss.

Loss -1R.

Trade #2, Wednesday, February 19

As I mentioned, my second trade was based on the same premise of higher prices.

I entered the long trade once I saw the 15-second bullish FVG holding the price. Since everything looked good from my perspective, I decided to add to the position on the retracement into the 1-minute bullish FVG.

Unfortunately, it soon became apparent that the price was unwilling to go higher, and my stop loss was hit again.

Loss -1R.

I’m a little frustrated with this week. Fortunately, I know from experience that after the bad periods, the good ones always come. That’s something that keeps me positive in the long run

Total loss: -2R

One final observation.

Check out where the Thursday and Friday sell-off started. NDOG and NWOG cluster, coincidence? I don’t think so

[ICTShark]

Hey, everybody!

I apologise for not journaling consistently for the last two months. I’ve been busy with this project, specifically making notes for each lesson.

I plan to resume regular journaling in two weeks after I finish the notes for the ICT Forex lessons.

However, before I fully return to this activity, here are my two trades from last week, including the video recordings.

Long trade from 4/29/2025

Reasons to enter:

• SMT between NQ and ES on the 5-minute chart.
• Liquidity above the highs of the Asian session.
• YouTube model.

Result: 3.8R

NQ Long Trade 04/29/2025 - ICT 2022 YouTube Model

Long trade from 2/5/2025

Reasons to enter:

• 5-minute FVG SMT between ES and NQ.
• Daily FVG as DOL.
• YouTube Model entry.

Result: 3.3R

NQ Long Trade 05/02/2025 - ICT YouTube Model

[ICTShark]

This week, I’m going back to journaling of trades.

I’ll start with these two trades from last week.

NQ Short Trade 05/14/2025

Reasons to enter:

• 5M bearish breaker + 5M FVG.
• Price has removed liquidity above PDH.
• 15m EQL as target = DOL.
• 1h SMT Divergence.

Result: 2.4R

NQ Short Trade 05/14/2025 - ICT 2022 YouTube Model

ES Long Trade 05/14/2025

Reasons to enter:

• 3m IFVG.
• 5m SMT divergence between ES and NQ.
• PDH as DOL.

Result: 1.5R

ES Long Trade 05/14/2025 - ICT IFVG Model

[ICTShark]

On Monday, May 19, the price started trending up strongly without any major pullbacks to offer an opportunity to enter a long trade. Therefore, I waited for signs of exhaustion to try a quick, short scalp trade.

After consolidating for an hour and a half, the price tried to break above the initial balance but almost immediately pulled back. This was a sign of weakness for me and the main reason to enter a short position.

I entered the position once the price closed at the 2m IFVG edge. Price did move in the expected direction and reached 1R, but it was obvious that it didn’t want to go lower. So, I moved the stop loss, which was subsequently hit a few minutes later.

Unfortunately, I didn’t expect the price to go above PDH on this day.

Reasons to enter:

• Bearish hourly FVG as POI.
• Price returned quickly to IB range.
• 2-minute IFVG overcome.
• Clear EQLs on 2-minute chart (DOL).

Total loss: 0.4R

[ICTShark]

Yesterday, May 20, I made three trades.

Trade #1

On this day, my bias was bearish, so I was only looking for opportunities on the short side.

The first opportunity to open a short position came a few minutes before 11:00.

I entered aggressively when I saw the price breaking the 1-minute FVG.

The price quickly went down and the profit reached around 2R. I therefore moved the SL to BE. Unfortunately, the price came back to my moved SL.

Reasons to enter:

• Price returned to the IB range after removing liquidity above its high.
• 1-minute FVG surpassed (IFVG pattern).
• Hourly FVG below as DOL.

Result: 0R

I still stuck to my bearish bias and found another opportunity to enter a short trade on the 5m bearish FVG.

At the time of entry, I was expecting the 15-minute candle to close below the 15m bullish FVG (marked in green on the chart) and assumed that this area would start acting as resistance and send the price down.

Price moved in my direction at about 1.5R, so I moved the SL to BE. However, in the meantime, a bullish FVG formed on the 15-minute chart, right around my entry point.

I knew very well that price would want to retest this area, but I still did not exit the trade in profit. After all, I am not in the habit of taking small profits.

As I expected, that’s what happened. The price kicked me out at the SL.

Reasons to enter:

• 15-minute SMT divergence between ES and NQ.
• 5-minute FVG for IOFED entry.
• Hourly bullish FVG as DOL.

Result: 0R

Trade #3

I knew my trade idea was right, so I sought a re-entry opportunity.

Since the price was already further away from my ideal entry point, I decided to enter with a smaller number of micro contracts with the intention of adding to the position later. And that’s exactly what happened.

The price delivery was quick, as expected. On the way down, there were plenty of swing lows under which there were loads of liquidity (stop losses).

Result: 3R

NQ Short Trade 05/20/2025 - ICT IFVG Model

Total win: 3R