Tuesday, January 13, 2026
Early-week conviction is tested as markets move from positioning to decision-making.
📅 Today’s Watch-List: Key Catalysts
Tuesday sessions often reveal whether Monday’s tone was real or provisional. Today is about follow-through.
Institutional Follow-Through
Liquidity is fully back and participation is broad.
Markets are now deciding:
Which levels deserve acceptance
Which moves were simply early-week positioning
Failure to hold Monday’s structure increases odds of rotation.
Macro & Rates
Treasury yields remain the primary driver across assets:
Stable or falling yields → supportive for equities and risk assets
Rising yields → pressure equities quickly, especially near highs
Watch:
10Y yield direction
Real-time yield reactions during the pit session
Economic Calendar
No Tier-1 U.S. data releases today.
Markets are positioning ahead of upcoming inflation and earnings catalysts later this week.
This keeps the focus on:
Order flow
Market internals
Technical acceptance or rejection
Market Psychology
Traders are less patient than Monday.
Moves today are more likely to be tested aggressively.
Expect:
Faster reactions at key levels
Less forgiveness for failed breakouts
Key theme:
Today is about confirmation or rejection.
📈 ES – E-mini S&P 500
Current Market Conditions
ES is pressing into higher territory near psychological and technical resistance.
Buyers remain active, but sellers are increasingly responsive on strength.
Market breadth has improved modestly, but leadership remains selective.
What to Expect Today
Directional attempts are likely during the U.S. morning.
Acceptance above recent highs opens the door for continuation.
Failure to hold gains increases odds of rotation back toward balance.
How to Trade It
Reaction trades at structure outperform chasing momentum.
Watch:
Pullbacks that hold → constructive
Rallies that fail quickly → caution
Be selective with size until acceptance is clear.
📈 NQ – Nasdaq / Tech
Current Market Conditions
Tech remains the most yield-sensitive segment.
Leadership is narrow, keeping rallies fragile.
What to Expect
Larger intraday swings than ES.
Divergence between NQ and ES often signals changing risk appetite.
How to Trade It
Tactical trades only.
Yield confirmation remains essential for trend continuation.
🥇 Gold (GC)
Current Market Conditions
Gold continues to act as a macro barometer.
Participation remains solid, with clean technical behavior.
What to Expect Today
Gold will react quickly to:
Yield movement
Dollar strength/weakness
Consolidation today could set up opportunity later in the week.
How to Trade It
Structure-based setups favored.
Avoid chasing momentum without confirmation.
🛢️ Oil (CL)
Current Market Conditions
Oil remains range-bound amid mixed demand signals.
What to Expect
Headline-driven movement possible.
Oil may lag equities early in the week.
How to Trade It
Fade extremes.
Avoid forcing direction without confirmation.
₿ Crypto (BTC / ETH / Alts)
Current Market Conditions
Crypto remains volatile with improving liquidity.
Correlation with equities remains elevated.
What to Expect
Sharp intraday swings.
Watch ES and NQ for directional cues.
How to Trade It
Tactical trades only.
Avoid oversized exposure without confirmation.
🏠 Real Estate
Current Market Conditions
Focus remains on rates and financing expectations.
Transactional activity remains slow early in Q1.
What to Expect
Little intraday impact.
Direction becomes clearer as macro expectations firm.
🎯 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: 7025.00
Pit Low: 6969.00
🔻 IF ES OPENS GAP UP → LOOK SHORT BELOW
7025
7021.50
🔺 IF ES OPENS GAP DOWN → LOOK LONG ABOVE
6969
6984.25
6993.25
7005.00
🎯 TARGET FOR EITHER SET OF ENTRIES
➡️ 7016
🔄 IF ES OPENS IN BALANCE (within yesterday’s range)
LOOK SHORT BELOW
6969
6956
6949
LOOK LONG ABOVE
7025
🧠 TRADE EXPLANATION – WHY THIS SETUP FITS TODAY
This is a structure-driven rotation trade, ideal for a Tuesday session where conviction is being tested.
Why Pit-Session Levels Matter
Pit hours reflect true institutional participation.
ES often rotates between pit extremes before committing to direction.
When price opens:
Above range → fade back toward balance
Below range → rotate higher toward value
Why the 7016 Target
7016 represents a fair-value magnet where:
Counter-trend traders take profit
Liquidity concentrates
Fixed targets remove emotion and enforce discipline.
Execution Mindset
This is not a breakout strategy.
It is a reaction-based balance trade.
Patience and precision outperform conviction here.
🔎 OVERALL TAKEAWAY
Tuesday is about proof.
Markets are deciding:
Which levels deserve acceptance
Which moves fail under pressure
This environment rewards traders who:
Let price come to levels
Trade reactions, not opinions
Respect session structure and context
The ES Pro Trader setup offers a clear, rules-based opportunity in a market testing higher ground.
Be patient.
Be precise.
Let the market confirm direction.