Trader’s Narrative

What is this all about?
My name is Babak and here you’ll find my thoughts on the financial markets and trading. I’m going to be covering the US markets mainly but also will dabble into European and Canadian markets - with special attention give to the income trust market in Canada. Within the US markets, most of my attention will be concentrated on timing, sentiment and new ways of analysing and trying to understand markets.

But the above doesn’t mean that I’ll be writing just on financial topics. At times you’ll find some irrelevant and irreverent digressions.

Why did you start a blog?
For several reasons. One, I wanted to collect my thoughts in such a way that it would allow me to review them to keep myself honest. I also wanted to be disciplined in writing and analysing the markets so that I can continue to learn everyday. As well, a blog is a great way to interact with other traders and those interested in trading. I used to be quite active on trading messageboards but after the noise to signal ratio got out of whack, I decided to instead dedicate my time and resources to a blog where I would have more control and interact with others on my own terms.

Other than selfish reasons, I created this because I wanted to give back in some small way and repay my debt to the many others who have given so generously of their time and talents. Since I didn’t have a mentor to guide me when I started out, I’m hoping that this will help another person who is considering the same journey. I don’t regret not having a mentor because it allowed me to grow and find my own individual path but it sure would have been nice to have a nudge here and there to cut down on time spent pursuing dead ends and reading useless books.

What are your hobbies? What do you do for fun?
Although this is borderline illegal, in my free time I enjoy trapping mimes in plexiglass cages. Then watch from a distance to time how long it takes passers-by to figure it out.

What trading books do you recommend to a novice?

Stan Weinstein’s “Profiting in Bull & Bear Markets”

Edwards & Magee’s “Technical Analysis of Stock Trends”

William O’Neil’s “How To Make Money in Stocks”

Tharp’s “Trade Your Way To Financial Freedom”

Mark Boucher’s “The Hedge Fund Edge”

Peter Navarro’s “When the Market Moves, Will You Be Ready?”

Plus, anything and everything by Tony Oz:

And remember to check out my FREE trading resource section.

Gotten any media recognition?
The Globe and Mail interviewed me in the summer of 2007 (Report On Business section). Here’s a picture from the article’s photo session:

Yup, that’s me… looking over the financial horizon.

I’m searching for trading stuff online, got any leads?
I’ve created a custom trading search engine using Google’s “co-op” technology. It returns significantly more meaningful results than other generic search engines because it focuses on only a few high quality trading and finance related websites. Go ahead and give it a try:

What do people think of this blog?

bravo, simply the best bloody blog on markets - perhaps anything - out there/here. Love your work.
-Alex

I came across your financial blog and was impressed with your knowledge and expertise in the financial markets.
-Ashish

your website is really excellent and provides a vast array of interesting data. Thank you for sharing it.
-Florian

I read your blog daily and have learned a tremendous amount. Sometimes I agree or disagree with your analysis, but it forces me to think critically about new information you present.
-Ram

I think your work is great. You have helped me with my trading and I am not a novice.
-Tom Lattimore

Just a quick note to let you know how much I enjoy your analysis and your blog which is quickly becoming one of my favorites.
-David

Fascinating analysis. Well Done. This is one of my favorite economics and trading blogs.
-Samuel

Can I share or republish your content?
While I’m usually flattered to see others refer to Trader’s Narrative, please do not republish articles from this blog in whole. If you want to cite Trader’s Narrative, whether to bring attention to an article, to voice your own opinion on it or to build upon ideas presented, please use an excerpt and provide proper attribution with an appropriate link to refer your readers back to the source.