Friday, January 9, 2026
End-of-week trade: conviction is tested, profits are protected, and structure decides what survives into next week.
📅 Today’s Watch-List: Key Catalysts
Friday sessions often tell you what the market truly believes — not what it hopes.
End-of-Week Positioning
Traders shift focus from initiating risk to managing and protecting gains.
Expect:
Faster profit-taking
More two-sided trade
Increased sensitivity at key levels
Macro & Rates
Treasury yields remain the primary driver:
Stable or falling yields → support equities
Rising yields → pressure risk assets quickly
Watch yields closely into mid-day — Friday reversals often start there.
Economic Calendar
No Tier-1 U.S. data releases today.
This keeps the focus on:
Order flow
Market internals
Acceptance or rejection of weekly highs/lows
Market Psychology
If markets hold strength into the close → bullish carryover potential.
Failure near highs → odds increase for next-week rotation.
Fridays reward discipline over aggression.
Theme for today:
Let the market show its hand before the weekend.
📈 ES – E-mini S&P 500
Current Conditions
ES remains within a clearly defined recent range.
Buyers continue to support dips, but sellers remain active near highs.
Momentum exists, but follow-through has been inconsistent.
What to Expect Today
Early movement may be tested and faded.
Breaks that hold into the afternoon carry more weight.
Expect rotation if momentum stalls near highs.
Trading Focus
Trade reactions at levels — not emotions.
Reduce size into late-day illiquidity.
Avoid forcing trades late Friday.
📈 NQ – Nasdaq / Tech
Current Conditions
Tech continues to exaggerate broader market movement.
Leadership remains narrow.
What to Expect
Sharper swings than ES.
Divergences between NQ and ES may signal risk shifts.
Trading Focus
Tactical trades only.
Yield confirmation remains essential.
🥇 Gold (GC)
Current Conditions
Gold remains reactive to yield movement.
Participation is steady but secondary to equities today.
What to Expect
Structure-driven trade.
Better suited for mean-reversion setups.
🛢️ Oil (CL)
Current Conditions
Oil remains range-bound with no dominant catalyst.
What to Expect
Quiet to choppy trade.
Not a priority market today.
₿ Crypto (BTC / ETH / Alts)
Current Conditions
Crypto remains volatile with improving liquidity.
Correlation with equities remains elevated.
What to Expect
Sharp swings.
Watch equities for directional cues.
🏠 Real Estate
Current Conditions
Focus remains on rate expectations.
No meaningful intraday influence today.
🎯 PRO TRADER TRADE OF THE DAY – ES (Pit Session Only)
Presented by Patrick Assalone – Target Trading Academy
Trade Type: Pit Session Opening “Gap / Balance Rotation”
Market: S&P 500 E-mini Futures (ES)
Session: Pit Session Only
If you’re unfamiliar with pit-session execution, review the educational resources provided by Target Trading Academy or schedule a call with their team before attempting the setup.
How to Use This Plan
Identify the open type:
Gap Up
Gap Down
In Balance
Execute only at listed levels and only in the stated direction.
Target is fixed for all setups.
Risk is managed through position sizing and discipline, not wider stops.
Best results typically come from the first clean test of a level.
Pit Session Reference Levels
Pit High: 6977.50
Pit Low: 6940.25
🔻 IF ES OPENS GAP UP → LOOK SHORT BELOW
6977.25
6972.25
6967
🔺 IF ES OPENS GAP DOWN → LOOK LONG ABOVE
6944
6949.25
🎯 TARGET FOR EITHER SET OF ENTRIES
➡️ 6962
🔄 IF ES OPENS IN BALANCE (within yesterday’s range)
LOOK SHORT BELOW
6940.25
6933
6915.25
6908
LOOK LONG ABOVE
6977.50
6981
6988.25
6998.25
7006.50
🧠 TRADE EXPLANATION – WHY THIS SETUP FITS A FRIDAY
Friday markets favor rotation and balance, not aggressive breakouts.
Pit-session levels represent where real participation occurred.
On Fridays:
Traders fade extremes
Lock in profits
Reduce weekend risk
Why the 6962 Target
6962 acts as a fair-value magnet:
Shorts cover
Longs exit
Liquidity concentrates
This setup aligns with end-of-week behavior — structure over conviction.
🔎 OVERALL TAKEAWAY
Friday is about protecting what the market gives you.
As the week closes:
Moves are more likely to rotate than trend
Breakouts need confirmation to hold
Discipline matters more than opportunity count
This environment rewards traders who:
Let price come to levels
Trade reactions, not opinions
Reduce risk into the close
The ES Pro Trade provides a clear, rules-based opportunity suited for a Friday session.
Trade smaller.
Take profits quicker.
Let the market decide what carries into next week.