Classic Technique  |  SEP 2001

Trading Within The Cup by Rick Martinelli and Barry Hyman

Trading Within The Cup by Rick Martinelli and Barry Hyman The classic approach to trading the cup-with-handle pattern is buying on a pullback during an uptrend before price breaks out. But what about traders who prefer to begin taking a position in a stock as it is setting up, rather than waiting for it to hit a new high? Trading within the cup-with-handle is another way to profit. In our October 1998 article, we described an automated approach to identify stocks that have set up the cup-with-handle structure with proper price and volume characteristics. The impetus for writing such an algorithm is that, on any given day, there may be new stocks that break out of a cup-with-handle pattern, but by the time investors are aware of them, they could have already broken out to levels well above the pivot point. Identifying stocks that are set up correctly allows the trader to be watching for such stocks before they break out. It also makes it possible to buy these stocks just as they are breaking above the pivot (on sufficient volume). It is critical to buy a stock not more than a few percent above the pivot price because, in many cases, stocks tend to pull back to and test the pivot area before continuing their advance. If a tight stoploss discipline is followed, the trader who chases a stock too far above the pivot point is likely to get stopped out on a subsequent pullback to, or just below, the pivot point.

by Rick Martinelli and Barry Hyman