Do you treat every trading day the same way? Having a daily routine is valuable…
But there are certain times that are far from normal. Walk into those days the same way you walk into any other?
You’ll pay for it.
Using the same strategy and having the same expectations works fine on normal days.
But there are other times when the entire market holds its breath, waiting for a single announcement.
That specific type of session rewards preparation more than almost any other…
And most of you enter it completely blind to what’s about to happen.
P.S. The government just quietly passed an amendment…
No headlines. Almost no coverage. It’s already moving a small group of stocks by as much as 9,900%.*
In the past, this same setup has delivered gains of 377%, 955%*, and even 2,373%.*
Tim Sykes and I are going LIVE on Wednesday, March 25th at 8 p.m. ET.
We’re discussing this government decision and the one setup I’m calling the simplest for new traders.
I’m also giving you one specific stock to act on the moment we’re done.
What a Barbell Day Is
A barbell has weight on both ends and a long bar connecting them in the middle.
That’s exactly what a Fed day trading session looks like on the tape. Busy early. Dead in the middle. Busy again late.
The action is front-loaded into the morning session, dries up almost completely through the midday window, and then explodes back to life after the rate announcement and press conference.
Yesterday was a Fed meeting day, and yes, it’s come and gone…
But I want you to be prepared for the next one (April 29th).
Understanding the barbell shape before the session is your first step.
The Morning Window: Front-Load Your Preparation
The first window runs from the open through roughly 10 a.m. That’s your primary trading session on Fed day.
The same patterns that work on any morning work here… Morning faders, dollar cross plays, Oracle signals, RCTs.
The difference is that you know the window is shorter than usual. By the time 10 a.m. rolls around and the market starts waiting for the Fed, the action in individual names starts to slow.
That compressed window makes Pre-Market preparation more important than ever. You can’t afford to spend the first 30 minutes of the session figuring out what to trade.
Your trade plans need to be mapped out before the bell rings. Key levels, entries, stops, and targets, all of it done before the open so that when the morning window is live, you’re executing, not still struggling to prepare.
Get in, make your trades, take your profits, and be done before the market goes into waiting mode.
If you try to squeeze more out of the morning after the momentum has faded, you’ll give back what you made in the first hour.
The Dead Zone: Step Away
The window between roughly 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Fed day is dead money for most traders. Volume dries up, and price action gets choppy and directionless. Individual stocks that were moving in the morning stall out.
This is the window to step away. Review your morning trades in your journal. Sit on your hands. Do anything other than stare at a slow tape, trying to manufacture setups that don’t exist.
Trading in the dead zone on Fed day is one of the fastest ways to turn a profitable morning into a breakeven or losing day.
The Afternoon Window: Post-2 P.M. Is Where It Heats Up
The rate announcement hits at 2 p.m. The Fed chair typically speaks around 2:30. That press conference is where the real volatility returns.
Markets react to the language, the tone, and the forward guidance. Individual sectors move hard in both directions. The stocks that were chopping sideways all day suddenly have a reason to go somewhere.
By 2:30, the barbell’s second weight is loaded and ready. The same preparation that served you in the morning serves you again here.
Know which sectors are sensitive to rate decisions. Know which names on your watchlist have the float and volume to move hard on a macro catalyst. Have your levels ready before the press conference starts.
The afternoon session on Fed day is often the busiest and most volatile window of the entire week. Be ready and focused, and you’ll capitalize.
My Final Thoughts…
Fed day isn’t a normal day…
Trade the morning, step away from the dead zone, and come back ready for the afternoon.
That structure protects your capital, preserves your focus, and positions you to take advantage of the most active windows of the session.
On April 29th, know the shape of the day before the bell rings.
Everything else follows from there.
Have a great day, everyone. See you back here tomorrow.