Sykes Sliding Scale (SSS)

Worst score is 10, best score is 100. Ideally trade stocks that score 70+. The higher the better.

·         Pattern: Pattern/Price                                                                   (1 - 20)

o   Need more detail on what this means. Pattern and price action can be evaluated in great depth so seems like some rules of thumb are needed here.

·         Risk/Reward:  Risk/reward ratio                                                (1 - 20)

o   Need to actually start calculating this.

·         Ease: Ease of entry / exit                                                               (1 – 10)

o   Executing trades is typically not a big problem for me.

o   No experience with OTC however.

·         Past: Past performance / history of spiking big                    (1 – 10)

o   How might I assess this differently depending on the play I have in mind?

·         At Time: At what time is it?                                                         (1 – 20)

o   NOTE: my schedule is open but a lack of an overall chronological plan or rhythm for the day is one of the reasons my plan seems to fall apart as soon as the opening bell rings.

o   Setting price alerts on everything creates overwhelming situations. Need to focus on fewer and have a mental idea of when a play might occur.

o   Being able to gauge when a play probably isn’t going to happen might be helpful.

·         Root Cause: What is the dominant reason / catalyst?       (1 – 10)

o   This is outside my normal workflow and tends to get skipped.

o   This seems to be one of the more important 10-point scales.

·         Environment: What is the market like                                     (1 – 10)

o   Early / late week.

o   Specific interactions such as commodity relationships.

o   “beta” effect. Oddly, many times I have seen what appears to be a divergent response to the NASDAQ composite, Need to see more cases of this, however.