Looking Ahead: May 21 through May 25, 2012

Stocks swooned last week as risk aversion took hold and sent investors scurrying for safe havens. Economic data were mixed globally. The Bank of Japan meets this week — no policy change is anticipated. Further detail will be available on Eurozone growth statistics as well as flash manufacturing and services PMI indexes for May are on tap. Investors will continue to monitor conditions in Greece, Spain and the other ‘peripheral’ members of the Eurozone. Housing is this week’s focus, starting with existing home sales on Tuesday and new home sales and FHFA at mid-week. Manufacturing updates post with Richmond Fed on Tuesday and then the key durables orders report Thursday along with the Kansas City Fed survey. The week closes with Friday’s consumer sentiment report.

Reasons Why Pro Forex Traders Make Money

Most traders who can’t seem to make any consistent money in the markets already know what they need to do to become successful, but they don’t make proper use of this knowledge. All traders have the motivation to make money in the markets, but most are focusing that motivation on the wrong things. If I can boil down the primary differences between professional traders and amateurs, I would say this; pro traders are motivated by the long-term outcome of their interactions with the markets, whereas amateur traders are motivated by the short-term outcomes. Once you learn that you can only make consistent money in the markets by dropping the impulsive desire to “make money now”, you will cross the threshold into thinking and trading like a professional, and eventually you will become one.