Skip to content
STOP 7

Searches page titles, section headings and glossary terms.

On this page

ES Morning Briefing Template

Purpose

This briefing is not meant to predict the market. Its purpose is to give me a clear, brief overview of the day’s market context, identify the most important macro/event risks, set a conditional bias, and define what I am allowed and not allowed to trade.
The goal is simple:
Take fewer stupid trades. Execute the best trades with clearer permission. Avoid surprise event risk.
The morning briefing should answer three questions:
  1. What can move the market today?
  1. What is the market already doing?
  1. What am I allowed to trade?
This is a context filter, not a prediction engine.

ES Morning Briefing — [Date / Time]

1. Event Risk

Major scheduled events only.
Include:
  • CPI
  • PPI
  • NFP / major jobs data
  • Jobless claims
  • FOMC decision
  • FOMC minutes
  • Powell / major Fed speakers
  • ISM / PMI
  • Major Treasury auctions if yields are sensitive
  • Major mega-cap earnings
  • OPEX / month-end / quarter-end
  • Market holiday / early close
Do not list every minor event unless it is unusually relevant.
Today’s event risk:
[Write here]
No-trade windows:
[Write here]
Event Risk Rating:
Green / Yellow / Red

2. Macro Tone

Briefly describe the current broad market pressure.
Consider:
  • Risk-on or risk-off?
  • Is tech leading or lagging?
  • Are yields helping or hurting equities?
  • Is the dollar relevant today?
  • Is oil/geopolitical risk relevant today?
  • Are markets focused on Fed policy, inflation, earnings, or something else?
Macro tone:
[Write here]
Example:
“Cautious/risk-off. Tech is weak, yields are firm, and oil/geopolitical pressure is in the background. Not a clean long-bias environment unless ES/NQ reclaim structure.”

3. Market Context

Focus on ES structure and whether NQ confirms.
Consider:
  • Is ES inside or outside the prior day range?
  • Is ES above or below prior day high/low?
  • Is ES above or below VWAP?
  • Did Globex trend or balance?
  • Is price near Globex high/low?
  • Is NQ confirming or diverging?
  • Is the open trending, balancing, or chopping?
Market context:
[Write here]
Example:
“Opening 90 minutes show downside pressure. ES is near session lows, QQQ/NQ is weaker, and sellers have control unless ES/NQ reclaim VWAP.”

4. Bias

The bias must be conditional, not predictive.
Do not write:
“Today is bearish.”
Write:
“Short-side preferred below VWAP. Neutral above VWAP. Longs allowed only after reclaim and hold.”
Bias:
[Write here]

5. Bias Changes If

This protects me from bias hangover.
Define exactly what would invalidate the original read.
Bias changes if:
[Write here]
Example:
“Bias changes if ES reclaims VWAP, NQ confirms with higher lows, and pullbacks hold above prior resistance.”

6. Best Setup

Choose one primary setup only. Add one secondary setup only if necessary.
The briefing should not give me five possible trades. Too many options become permission to overtrade.
Primary setup:
[Write here]
Secondary setup, if any:
[Write here]
Example:
“Primary: Failed reclaim short into VWAP or prior breakdown level.”
“Secondary: Higher-low long only after ES and NQ reclaim VWAP and hold a pullback.”

7. Avoid

This may be the most important part of the briefing.
Identify the one trap most likely to cost me money today.
Examples:
  • Do not chase lows after the opening move.
  • Do not fade weakness just because price looks extended.
  • Do not trade before CPI/FOMC/NFP.
  • Do not trade the middle of the range.
  • Do not short strength above the flip zone without clear failure.
  • Do not enter unless invalidation is obvious before entry.
  • Do not manufacture a trade because I missed the clean one.
Avoid today:
[Write here]

8. Permission Level

Use a traffic-light system.

Green

Normal trading plan allowed.
  • Standard size
  • Standard max trades
  • Normal setup rules
  • Normal shutdown rules

Yellow

Selective trading only.
  • Reduce aggression
  • Max 2–3 trades
  • No adds unless structure confirms
  • No trade without obvious invalidation
  • Be extra patient
  • A/B+ setups only

Red

Defensive mode.
  • No trades before major event
  • Sim only during initial volatility, if needed
  • One A+ setup only after conditions stabilize
  • Reduced size
  • No revenge trades
  • Stop immediately after rule break
Permission level:
Green / Yellow / Red
Restrictions:
[Write here]

9. Rule for Mark

One personal execution rule for the day.
This should target my most likely behavioural weakness.
Examples:
  • No trade unless invalidation is obvious before entry.
  • Missed trade does not create permission for a worse trade.
  • If green after one or two good trades, shutdown is allowed and preferred.
  • Do not add quickly to a winner before structure confirms.
  • No shorting above the flip zone unless there is a clear failed breakout at a major level.
  • If I break one rule, I am done.
  • No trade from frustration, boredom, or fear of missing out.
Rule for today:
[Write here]

10. No-Trade Condition

Define a specific situation where doing nothing is the correct trade.
Examples:
  • No trade if ES is in the middle of the prior day range.
  • No trade if price is far from clean invalidation.
  • No trade if NQ and ES are giving conflicting signals.
  • No trade if the market is chopping around VWAP with no directional control.
  • No trade if I am emotionally anchored to a missed move.
  • No trade within the defined news window.
No-trade condition:
[Write here]

Final Briefing Summary

Event Risk:

[Green / Yellow / Red + reason]

Macro Tone:

[One sentence]

Market Context:

[One sentence]

Bias:

[Conditional bias]

Best Setup:

[One setup]

Avoid:

[One trap]

Permission:

[Green / Yellow / Red + max aggression]

Rule for Mark:

[One rule]

After-Session Review

After trading, review whether the briefing helped or hurt.

Questions

  1. Did the briefing identify the main event risk?
  1. Did it correctly classify the market condition?
  1. Did it give a useful conditional bias?
  1. Did I follow the permission level?
  1. Did I violate the avoid instruction?
  1. Did the briefing keep me out of a bad trade?
  1. Did the briefing keep me from taking a good trade?
  1. Did the market invalidate the original bias?
  1. Did I adapt when the bias changed?
  1. What is the one lesson for tomorrow?

Daily Review Fields

  • Briefing Permission: Green / Yellow / Red
  • Briefing Bias: Long / Short / Neutral
  • Actual Trades Aligned With Briefing: Yes / No
  • Violated Avoid Instruction: Yes / No
  • Bias Changed During Session: Yes / No
  • I Adapted: Yes / No
  • Rule Breaks: Yes / No
  • Best Trade:
  • Worst Trade:
  • Main Lesson:

Core Principle

The briefing is useful only if it improves execution.
It is not here to predict the market.
It is here to help me:
  • avoid known event risk,
  • understand the market backdrop,
  • define a conditional bias,
  • know what setup is most appropriate,
  • avoid my most likely trap,
  • and trade only when the auction gives me clear permission.
The standard is not:
“Was the market call right?”
The standard is:
“Did this briefing help me take fewer bad trades and execute my best trades with more discipline?”