Author Archives: Brian Johnson

About Brian Johnson

I have been an investment professional for over 30 years. I worked as a fixed income portfolio manager, personally managing over $13 billion in assets for institutional clients. I was also the President of a financial consulting and software development firm, developing artificial intelligence based forecasting and risk management systems for institutional investment managers. I am now a full-time proprietary trader in options, futures, stocks, and ETFs using both algorithmic and discretionary trading strategies. In addition to my professional investment experience, I designed and taught courses in financial derivatives for both MBA and undergraduate business programs on a part-time basis for a number of years. I have also written four books on options and derivative strategies.

11 Rules to Improve Your Trading: Rules 4 & 5

Posted on September 11, 2012 by

The purpose of this series of posts is to provide a manageable list of fundamental trading rules to help you improve your trading process – regardless of your experience level.  I will also explain the rationale behind each rule and … Continue reading →

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11 Rules to Improve Your Trading: Rules 2 & 3

Posted on September 8, 2012 by

The purpose of this series of posts is to provide a manageable list of fundamental trading rules to help you improve your trading process – regardless of your experience level.  I will also explain the rationale behind each rule and … Continue reading →

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Posted in 11 Rules to Improve Your Trading, Risk Management, Strategy Development | Tagged | 6 Comments

11 Rules to Improve Your Trading: Rule #1

Posted on September 3, 2012 by

Sometimes it helps to go back to basics.  If you are not completely satisfied with your investment process (or you don’t have an investment process) here is the 1st in a series of 11 rules that will help you improve … Continue reading →

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September: Worst Month of the Year for Stocks

Posted on August 27, 2012 by

Stock prices have had an impressive run, especially considering the risks facing the global economy and the growing uncertainties fueled by the looming fiscal cliff and the upcoming election.  During the recent market advance, investors have become increasingly complacent, evidenced … Continue reading →

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Posted in Market Commentary, Market Timing, Seasonal Tools | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Williams’s POIV Indicator Identifies Reversal Prospects

Posted on August 23, 2012 by

In the December 2007 issue of Futures Magazine, Larry Williams described his Price, Open Interest, and Volume (POIV) indicator and he also included the formula for POIV, which allows us to reproduce the indicator calculations.  The following post reexamines the … Continue reading →

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Posted in COT Analysis, Futures, In-Depth Article, Market Commentary, Market Timing, Technical Analysis | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Do Not Short a Bull Market

Posted on August 21, 2012 by

The first and most important rule of trading is to always trade with the prevailing trend.  I have emphasized this rule in a number of my past posts.  It holds true in all market environments, but is especially crucial in … Continue reading →

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Posted in Economic Indicators, Fundamental Analysis, In-Depth Article, Market Commentary, Market Timing, Options, Risk Management, Summary Market Indicator Score, Technical Analysis | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

European Yield Barometer Tainted by ECB

Posted on August 16, 2012 by

Over the past week, the yield on ten-year Spanish debt dropped from over 7.00% to a low of 6.60%.  The yield on Italy’s debt dropped from over 6.00% to 5.78%.   That is great news, right?  It means that Europe … Continue reading →

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Active Trader Article: “The Science of Selling Options”

Posted on August 13, 2012 by

I have a new article coming out in the September 2012 issue of Active Trader, which may already be available in bookstores.  If not, it should be on the shelves in the next week or two.  The article is titled … Continue reading →

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