🗓️ THU/FRI
MES MICROS TRADE PLAN

Posted: Thursday February 19, 2026

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A Recap of Today’s Price Action & Setups:

LEVERAGE:

Did you know that trading 1 MES is equal to trading 50 shares of SPY?

▶️ $34,275 in Notional Value

Did you know that trading 1 ES is equal to trading 500 shares of SPY?

▶️ $342,750 in Notional Value.

If you trade 4 ES, that’s $1M you are slinging!

These ARE BIG contracts.

Respect the risk!

TIP: Did you know you could trade shares of SPY with our system? Instead of going “long” with 1 MES (50 SPY Shares), you could trade SMALLER and enter with 10 shares of SPY. Of course, you would need to be aware of PDT rules.

GAMBLER OR TRADER? THE GREAT TRADER TEST:

Today was the Day Before OPEX. A day with a Level 10 Warning Label for “squirrelly” price action where soul-crushing reversal candles are the norm.

The market will always offer something tempting.

It is never short on temptations.

But here is what separates disciplined traders from gamblers.

A gambler might have had a big green day today and called it skill. A gambler might have taken a dozen trades and called it effort.

A disciplined trader walks away small green and calls it a win.

A disciplined trader walks away small red and calls it a win.

A disciplined trader looks at the slop-n-shop and says… No Thank You.

That last one is the hardest.

Because walking away feels like losing.

It isn’t.

Forcing trades in violent, choppy conditions isn’t toughness.

It isn’t dedication. It is just noise… and noise costs money.

The best traders aren’t the ones who “find a way” to trade every day.

The best traders are ones who know… with confidence and zero apology… when the market offers nothing worth taking and when it is serving up exactly what they came for.

A big red day today?!?!?!? That voice in your head… the one telling you to walk away; it was right. It is always right.

To wrap it up… walking away from low-probability trading environments?

That is the mark of a great trader.

Battle Plan (1️⃣)

Early RTH entries on Battle Plan (1️⃣) proved difficult.

Late afternoon, was better entry on the deeper pullback of Battle Plan (1️⃣).

As I said on Zoom, I wanted Battle Plan (2️⃣), BUT if we got the deeper part of Battle Plan (1️⃣), it would perk up my interest.

I took the long at the Strong Level at 6855 with 2 MES contracts.

Locking 10-points with one contract. Keeping lotto runner back.

Locking 10-Pointer on Lead MES Contract

THANK YOU ANDREW

Andrew took the same long as I.

Then he added: funny how Im using Bookmap and some other order flow systems.. however all your mapping and guidance each day is straight up perfect with these systems showing resting orders and serious levels.. like to the tick! Its like you already know… Old School experience is Priceless hence why along the ride with you learning keeping my ears open always.

TIP OF THE DAY

How did you enjoy trading violent slop-n-chop?

This AM, Ron said, “I don’t trust this market.” He voiced the sentiment in my head perfectly. That is how OPEX trading typically feels and plays out.

Maybe taking a four-day weekend on the third Thursday and Friday is a good idea?

The “Day before OPEX” and “OPEX” are indeed low-probability trading days.

If you are using our Journal Software, be sure to mark TODAY as a SPECIAL DAY… The Day Before OPEX.

TRADE OF THE DAY

BATTLE PLAN:

Battle Plan (1️⃣) offered the opportunity for entry but wild violent price action made it near impossible to HOLD ON to the entry.

🔥 Then it happened… later in the day, the market followed through on the deeper part of the mapped-out pathing. This was my long.

Will it be a 100-pointer? Probably not, but I will play perfect chess as long as possible.

Since Andrew captured 10 points, so I will count 10 for the Scoreboard.

MES Long Set Up: Battle Plan (1️⃣)

ZOOM:

We called multiple trades opportunities that offered little to nothing. Mostly break even trades and then the call to close your DOM and walk.

CORE STRATEGY:

This is a No-Trade Day. I think you get the picture.

SCOREBOARD

Accumulated Points This Week

Battle Plan	Zoom	Core Strategy
70	75	0

FREE LIVE STREAMS:

AM Briefings: Monday – Friday around 8:15AM EST | 7:15AM CST

Tuesday AM: Live Trading Stream on YouTube

⚡ Plus, I go live with surprise “Pop-Up Live Streams” at any time. Hit the notification bell 🛎️ on YouTube so you never miss one. Get Notified

STRONG LEVELS:

Members Only: Micros Trader Strong Levels 2.15

7-Day Trial Members: Private Message Me for access.

THIS IS A TEST:

Testing out a new possible feature. Like?

MicrosTrader.com | Nightly Battle Plan

🇺🇸 U.S. High-Impact Economic Calendar

📅 Friday, February 20, 2026 ★★★ 3-Star Events Only 🕐 All Times Eastern (ET)

Impact: ★★★ High Impact — Expect increased volatility Source: Investing.com

⚡ Special Edition: Monthly Options Expiration (OPEX)
OPEX occurs on the third Friday of each month, when equity and index options contracts expire on exchanges including the CBOE. Market makers and dealers unwind or roll hedges tied to expiring contracts, which can produce elevated intraday volume and exaggerated moves around key price levels — particularly in the final hour of trading. Futures traders should be aware that pin risk and gamma-driven flow may amplify market reactions to any economic data released the same morning.

⚡ Quick View

Time (ET)	Event
8:30 AM	GDP (Q4 2025) — Advance Estimate
8:30 AM	Core PCE Price Index (MoM)
8:30 AM	Core PCE Price Index (YoY)
8:30 AM	Personal Income (MoM)
8:30 AM	Personal Spending (MoM)

📋 Detailed View

🇺🇸 ★★★ 8:30 AM ET

GDP (Q4 2025) — Advance Estimate (QoQ)

Forecast~4.2%

Previous4.4%

Trend▼ Slowing

The Advance GDP estimate is the first official measure of U.S. economic growth for Q4 2025, expressed as an annualized quarter-over-quarter rate. Originally scheduled for January 29, this release was delayed and carries extra significance as the first comprehensive look at Q4 activity. Q3 2025 came in at 4.4% — a softer Q4 print could reinforce expectations of a shift in Federal Reserve policy.

🇺🇸 ★★★ 8:30 AM ET

Core PCE Price Index (MoM) — December 2025

Forecast+0.2%

Previous+0.2%

Trend→ Steady

Core PCE (Personal Consumption Expenditures) excludes food and energy and is the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge. A monthly reading of +0.2% has been the recent baseline — any deviation above or below moves markets, as it directly informs the Fed’s rate decisions. This release is part of the broader BEA Personal Income and Outlays report.

🇺🇸 ★★★ 8:30 AM ET

Core PCE Price Index (YoY) — December 2025

Forecast2.8%

Previous2.8%

Trend→ Steady

The year-over-year Core PCE reading provides the clearest picture of where inflation stands relative to the Fed’s 2% target. At 2.8%, inflation remains above target but has been gradually easing. A reading above forecast would likely push rate-cut expectations further out; a reading below would bring them forward.

🇺🇸 ★★★ 8:30 AM ET

Personal Income (MoM) — December 2025

Forecast+0.4%

Previous+0.3%

Trend↑ Improving

Measures the month-over-month change in total income received by U.S. households, including wages, salaries, rental income, and government transfers. Rising personal income supports consumer spending capacity and is a key input into GDP. Released simultaneously with PCE and Personal Spending as part of the BEA’s monthly Personal Income and Outlays report.

🇺🇸 ★★★ 8:30 AM ET

Personal Spending (MoM) — December 2025

Forecast+0.5%

Previous+0.5%

Trend→ Steady

Tracks the month-over-month change in the value of goods and services purchased by U.S. consumers — the largest single component of GDP. Consumer spending accounts for roughly 70% of U.S. economic output, making this a critical barometer of economic momentum heading into Q1 2026.

🔗 Research Calendars: Investing.com ForexFactory FinancialJuice Econoday

To View The Trade Setups Below...

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MEMBER RESOURCES

Methodology

Video: How To Trade The Battle Plan

Each evening, I scan the ES chart and ask one primary question:

Where are the bulls and bears positioned?

"Great bears know where the bulls are.
Great bulls know where the bears are."

The arrows you see highlight those pressure points...zones where reactions in price are most likely.

Careful consideration is given to trend, range structure, liquidity pools, and our Strong Levels — a custom TradingView indicator available to paid Battle Plan or full Micros Trader members.

Most arrows lean toward the buy side. That's no coincidence as the ES is a long-biased instrument over time.

How you choose to trade these zones is entirely up to you:

Entry:

Our Core Strategy: Low-time frame bounce levels.
Level Reclaim: Market order with proper stop loss under low.
Your own preferred method: Just use the arrows as a price map and trade on your own confirmation.
Paper Trade til confident.
Set Alerts on TradingView as ES/MES trades 23 hours a day. Entries may occur at any time.

Instrument:

Futures — My primary instrument as our group trades ES/MES futures as scalps and multi-day holds.
Option spreads

Nothing on this page is a trade recommendation.
I am not a financial advisor.

Entry | Price Map Explanation

Mapped Out Entry Paths: An Explanation

Video: How To Trade The Battle Plan

First, note that the numbered trades are provided only as a visual reference. They do not indicate priority or importance.

Green Path: My preferred trade location and the expected price path.

White Path: Alternative trade paths worth watching, with potential for market movement.

Refer to the chart notes below for important details about entry risk.

⚠️ Reminder: Always base your trades on your own confirmation signals. The outlined scenarios simply reflect one trader’s perspective—mine.

Strong Levels Indicator Access

[Content protected for Battle Plan, Battle Plan + Monthly Zoom Pass, Two Week Battleplan Membership members only]

Zoom Link

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« Older Entries

MES Micros Trade Plan: 5 Great Setups: Battle Plan #247

🗓️ THU/FRI MES MICROS TRADE PLAN

Posted: Thursday February 19, 2026

Read Aloud

A Recap of Today’s Price Action & Setups:

LEVERAGE:

GAMBLER OR TRADER? THE GREAT TRADER TEST:

Battle Plan (1️⃣)

THANK YOU ANDREW

<img decoding="async" src="https://academy.microstrader.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ES-Trading-System.png" alt="Trading Icon"> SCOREBOARD

THIS IS A TEST:

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