Trading Journal — 2025-10-23 PM: Quick Market Update

Market tone: Mixed-to-defensive. After a choppy afternoon the tape leaned cautious — breadth was uneven and volatility nudged higher, keeping conviction tilted toward risk-management over aggressive exposure.

Key trade: put on an SQQQ hedge to protect the portfolio’s tech exposure. This was a tactical, time-limited hedge aimed at limiting downside from a short-term tech sell-off rather than a directional bet.

Top convictions: NVDA (watch closely), GM, GE, DHR, KO — these names remain core focus areas based on fundamental setups and position sizing. NVDA is the highest-conviction idea heading into the next session.

Stops & adjustments: Stops were raised across several positions to lock in gains and reduce downside risk after midday strength. The SQQQ hedge size and duration were calibrated to complement the tighter stops.

Near-term plan (actionable): Monitor pre-market NVDA closely — if futures gap down more than ~1.5% or VIX spikes materially, re-establish/size up the SQQQ hedge to protect the tech exposure. If pre-market action is calm, keep the hedge modest and let raised stops do the heavy lifting. Reassess at the open and again after the first 60 minutes of trading.

Source: Trading Journal — 2025-10-23 PM session (internal trading notes).

Tags: Trading Journal, Market Update, Hedge & Risk Management