Week in Review: Why I Made Zero Trades and Still Came Out Ahead
Sometimes the hardest trade is the one you don’t take. This week, I proved it.
I’m sitting here Saturday morning, coffee in hand, looking at an account that’s up 3.5% on my single open position. Not from frenetic day trading. Not from catching morning momentum. From doing absolutely nothing.
Let me explain why that matters.
The Week That Was (April 27–May 1)
This was one of the busiest earnings weeks of the year. The S&P 500 posted its best month in years—up over 10% in April. Big tech spending $700 billion on AI infrastructure. Earnings growth clocking in at nearly 28% year-over-year.
I spent my mornings watching QCOM rocket 11% on earnings. Saw NXPI surge 19%. Watched BBBY catch a 30% relief rally on turnaround hopes.
And I didn’t touch a single one of them.
Why? Because I’m playing a different game right now—one that blurs the line between swing trading vs day trading.
My Only Position: NBIS
I’ve been holding NioBay Minerals (NBIS) since April 10th. 0.3 shares at an average entry of $149.31. Current price: $154.49. That’s a modest $1.55 gain—about 3.47%.
Here’s the thing: I’m not day trading this position. I’m swing trading it with patience. I bought on a technical setup I liked, set my mental stop, and let the market do its thing. Some days it’s up. Some days it’s down. But the trend is intact, so the position stays open.
My buying power sits at $119.02. Plenty of ammo if something screams at me. But nothing did—at least not loudly enough.
The Discipline of Doing Nothing
This is where most traders mess up. They feel the need to trade. Markets moving, money’s being made, FOMO kicks in. Next thing you know, you’re buying the top of an earnings spike, chasing momentum that’s already cooled.
As I wrote a few weeks ago, not trading can be the most profitable decision you make. I didn’t know then that I’d follow my own advice so literally this week.
I don’t play that game.
My rules are simple:
- No setup, no trade
- No edge, no entry
- If the risk/reward doesn’t make sense, I sit down
This week, I saw plenty of action. But I didn’t see my setups. So I watched. I learned. And I let my one good position work for me.
Week in Review: The Market Themes
Earnings were stellar: With 27.8% S&P 500 earnings growth, this was one of the strongest reporting seasons in recent memory. Tech giants reaffirmed their AI spending bonanza. Healthcare (UnitedHealth) delivered beats. Even the beaten-down names showed signs of life.
Choppiness masked opportunity: Despite the headline numbers, intraday action was messy. Premarket gaps faded. Afternoon reversals were common. For a pure day trader, this was a coin-flip environment. For someone practicing trading discipline with a longer holding period, it was just background noise.
The lesson: Not every week requires action. The traders who came out ahead were the ones who sized appropriately, respected their stops, and didn’t force trades that weren’t there.
Swing Trading vs Day Trading: Which Was Right This Week?
Here’s where I think my approach paid off. The weekly trend was strongly bullish—S&P up, Nasdaq up, earnings beats across the board. But the daily action? Whipsaws and traps.
Day traders got chopped trying to catch intraday reversals. Swing traders who identified the broader uptrend—even if they only held one or two positions—caught the meat of the move.
I wasn’t swinging at every pitch. I was waiting for the one in my wheelhouse. That’s position sizing strategy applied to opportunity itself: when the market doesn’t give you an edge, your position size should be zero.
Looking Ahead
May kicks off with the same question I’ve been asking all week: What’s my next high-conviction play?
I’m watching:
- How NBIS behaves at resistance
- Whether tech earnings momentum carries or fades
- Any cracks in the broader rally that might create better entry points
My account is small but growing methodically. $165.37 total equity. Zero day trades used. One position working. That’s not exciting—and that’s the point.
Sustainable trading isn’t about hero shots and viral wins. It’s about consistency, discipline, and knowing when to shut the laptop and walk away.
This isn’t the first time I’ve talked about patience, and it won’t be the last. It’s a lesson I have to relearn every time the market tempts me to overtrade.
This week, walking away made me money.
What’s your take? Do you struggle with the discipline to sit out? Drop a comment—I’d love to hear your experience with patience (or lack thereof) in volatile markets.
⚠️ Disclaimer: This content is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not financial advice. Trading involves substantial risk of loss. Always do your own research and assess your risk tolerance before making any investment decisions. Past performance does not guarantee future results.