E-Mini Bulls Want Upside Breakout of Bear Flag

 | Mar 20, 2023 09:33AM ET

h2 E-mini daily chart
  • The E-mini S&P 500 futures formed a bear bar on Friday after last Thursday’s (March 16th) bull breakout.
  • The bears want Friday (March 17th) to set up a Low 2 short, leading to a downside breakout below the March low.
  • With last Thursday’s breakout bar being so big, there are more likely buyers below Friday’s low (Low 2).
  • The daily chart is in a trading range at credible support, the December 2022 area. The bulls want a high-low double bottom (December 22nd and March 13th)
  • It is common to get bull breakouts of bear flags at the bottom of trading ranges. The opposite goes for the tops of trading ranges (bear breakouts of bull flags).
  • Since the bears have a reasonable Low 2 near support, traders should be prepared for a bull breakout above Friday’s high late in a February selloff.
  • This means that the market may get a measured move from the March 13th low to the March 16th high, which projects up to around 4,150.
  • Trades will pay close attention today since it will likely be the entry bar for last Friday’s Low 2 short. If the bear gets a strong follow-through bar, more traders will sell, betting on lower prices. If today is a strong bull reversal bar, the bears may exit early, anticipating the market going above the March 16th high.
h2 E-mini 5-minute chart and what to expect today/h2
  • E-mini is up 10 points in the overnight Globex session.
  • The Globex had a downside breakout during the overnight hours and reversed up recently.
  • Traders should be open to the possibility of a bull trend day (see daily chart above, bad Low 2). However, the day will likely have a lot of trading range price action.
  • As always, traders should expect open and sideways trading range for the first 6-12 bars.
  • Most traders should focus on trying to catch the opening swing trade that usually begins before the end of the second hour.
  • It is common for the opening swing to begin after a double top/bottom or a wedge top/bottom.
  • Lastly, traders can wait for a credible breakout with follow-through and enter in the direction of the breakout, betting on a 2nd leg.
h2 Friday’s E-mini setups/h2