Interview with Adam Sarhan

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Adam SarhanAdam Sarhan is a +20 year market veteran, a Forbes Contributor, and is regularly quoted on CNBC, Fox Business, the Wall Street Journal, BARRONs, and a host of others.  He is also the Founder & CEO of 50 Park Investments and as of late November 2015, a proud partner of ChartYourTrade!  

We finally had the opportunity to sit down with Adam and pick his brain.  In the following interview, we’ll get to know him, his trading style, as well as what he finds that works best in the market and what doesn’t work well at all.  

 

ChartYourTrade: Adam, you’ve been running FindLeadingStocks.com for over 10 years and have provided a model portfolio for your subscribers to follow.  The model portfolio has been consistently profitable year after year.  You provided all of the trades ahead of time each weekend with exact entry and exit points.  Mechanically speaking, this should make it extremely easy for someone to follow or mimic the portfolio trade for trade.  However, it still may be challenging for some traders to follow due to their own personal psychology or when emotions get involved.  Can you speak to the emotional aspects of trading and in particular, following someone else’s trades one for one? 

[su_testimonial name=”Adam Sarhan” photo=”https://chartyourtrade.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/TlWg3Wvm_400x400.jpeg” company=”Twitter: @AdamSarhan” url=”https://twitter.com/adamsarhan”] This was created by design. It was something that I wanted to see in the marketplace and just wasn’t there. At the beginning of my journey, (remember, I’m a self-taught student of the market and know how it feels to want to “learn” about markets) – I wanted to follow other people and “learn” from these experts. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anything “good” out there. So I created FindLeadingStocks.com because I know (first hand) the value of good/useful information. Most people in the is business want to make a few bucks and are not intellectually honest. I’ve built my business by helping people, putting my best foot forward at all times and the rest followed. Most people in this business give 50 -100 “recs” (short for recommendations) then go out there and cherry pick the top 5-10 stocks. That doesn’t do anyone any good. What about the 90-95% of stocks that blew up? They don’t care, they just want to post here are our top 5-10 winners – look at these BIG gains (and all the other tacky marketing that follows). I’m not like that. I created FindLeadingStocks.com which is a weekly service that helps you make better decisions. Each week, when the market’s are closed, FLS members get specific entry and exit points with an exact percent to risk from entry (long and short). This way there is never any Monday morning quarterbacking or he-said she said with the ideas. In addition, to the model portfolio we provide at least 10 new setups (long and short). This way members can see a realistic easy to use watch list and don’t have to spend countless hours scanning the market. If they like anything from the trade setups page they can initiate the positions on their own and they can see (we provide annotated charts) exactly what I see and am focused on each week. The idea behind FLS is to empower you to make better investment decisions. Not to sell you subscriptions with tacky marketing. In fact, one could fault me for not doing enough marketing. I prefer to work with intelligent people who want good/useful information. All we focus on are liquid quality institutional stocks in FLS. We do not cover penny stocks or look for a quick buck. [/su_testimonial]

ChartYourTrade: What are some of the key aspects you look at when sizing up the market? 

[su_testimonial name=”Adam Sarhan” photo=”https://chartyourtrade.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/TlWg3Wvm_400x400.jpeg” company=”Twitter: @AdamSarhan” url=”https://twitter.com/adamsarhan”]Price is king, everything else is second. We all make or lose money based on one thing: The difference between our entry and exit price. Nothing else. So when I size up the market each week- I want to see how the market is behaving. I like to ask, The market is speaking, Are you listening? [/su_testimonial]

ChartYourTrade: What are some of the major buy and sell signals you take and under what circumstances? 

[su_testimonial name=”Adam Sarhan” photo=”https://chartyourtrade.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/TlWg3Wvm_400x400.jpeg” company=”Twitter: @AdamSarhan” url=”https://twitter.com/adamsarhan”]99.9% of the time I like to be aligned with the broader trend. Remember there are only three things any asset class in the world can do (stock, bond, currency, commodity, real-estate etc): Go Up, Down, or Sideways. In uptrends I want to be long, downtrends I want to be short and I tend not to take heavy positions in sideways (choppy) periods. Then I look for early (advanced) entry points to align myself with the trend. [/su_testimonial]

ChartYourTrade: Who are some of your greatest trading influences and why?

[su_testimonial name=”Adam Sarhan” photo=”https://chartyourtrade.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/TlWg3Wvm_400x400.jpeg” company=”Twitter: @AdamSarhan” url=”https://twitter.com/adamsarhan”]There are a few private people who do a fantastic job consistently taking money out of the market.  They do not want to be mentioned publicly.  Otherwise, the normal “legends” come to mind, people like Livermore, Paul Tudor Jones, Bruce Kovner, etc.  [/su_testimonial]

ChartYourTrade: For someone just starting out who is attempting to trade part-time with little or no experience, where would you recommend they start?

[su_testimonial name=”Adam Sarhan” photo=”https://chartyourtrade.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/TlWg3Wvm_400x400.jpeg” company=”Twitter: @AdamSarhan” url=”https://twitter.com/adamsarhan”]Trade small. Very, very, very small until you prove that you can consistently make money. Many people think they have to have a lot of money to start trading. The reality is, knowing what to do (when to buy and sell) is FAR MORE IMPORTANT. Would you operate on someone or fly a jet without getting a proper education? Probably, not. Why would you start trading without a proper education? Yet, people do it all the time.[/su_testimonial]

ChartYourTrade: How long do you typically hold positions?  Days, weeks, months, longer?

[su_testimonial name=”Adam Sarhan” photo=”https://chartyourtrade.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/TlWg3Wvm_400x400.jpeg” company=”Twitter: @AdamSarhan” url=”https://twitter.com/adamsarhan”]I’m not like most people on Wall Street. I let the market guide me and I do my best to remain flexible (and humble) at all times. That means, by design, the market dictates my holding period. I always keep my losses small and do my best to let my winners run. Therefore, there are times where my holding period is very short (if the market moves against me and triggers my protective pre-determined stop) and there are times where I hold a position for several months. It all depends on what the market giveth. In general, I do my best work in the intermediate term time frame (weekly-monthly) and look to capture the bulk of the move, not pick a top or bottom. [/su_testimonial]

ChartYourTrade: Why do you trade?

[su_testimonial name=”Adam Sarhan” photo=”https://chartyourtrade.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/TlWg3Wvm_400x400.jpeg” company=”Twitter: @AdamSarhan” url=”https://twitter.com/adamsarhan”]Great Question. In short, because I love the game. It keeps me sharp and is intellectually stimulating.[/su_testimonial]

ChartYourTrade: What do you trade?

[su_testimonial name=”Adam Sarhan” photo=”https://chartyourtrade.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/TlWg3Wvm_400x400.jpeg” company=”Twitter: @AdamSarhan” url=”https://twitter.com/adamsarhan”]I run two strategies: A Global Macro (futures) Strategy and a long/short U.S. Equity Strategy. [/su_testimonial]

ChartYourTrade: What do you like most about trading and why?

[su_testimonial name=”Adam Sarhan” photo=”https://chartyourtrade.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/TlWg3Wvm_400x400.jpeg” company=”Twitter: @AdamSarhan” url=”https://twitter.com/adamsarhan”] * I love the intellectual challenge and flexibility that comes with this business. Markets are constantly evolving and it is like one big puzzle to me. It’s my job to figure out how to put the pieces together. Some people like crosswords or Sudoku. I prefer markets. There’s an infinite number of opportunities in front of us each and every day. It’s our job to spot the opportunity and capitalize on it.  My 4-year-old daughter asked me the other day: Daddy, what do you do at work? I told her, I play a game and help people get smarter.  [/su_testimonial]

ChartYourTrade: What do you like least about trading and why?

[su_testimonial name=”Adam Sarhan” photo=”https://chartyourtrade.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/TlWg3Wvm_400x400.jpeg” company=”Twitter: @AdamSarhan” url=”https://twitter.com/adamsarhan”]There’s nothing I don’t like about it. If anything, they should give us more days off.[/su_testimonial]

ChartYourTrade: What do you find most difficult or challenging about trading?

[su_testimonial name=”Adam Sarhan” photo=”https://chartyourtrade.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/TlWg3Wvm_400x400.jpeg” company=”Twitter: @AdamSarhan” url=”https://twitter.com/adamsarhan”] For the first 10 years or so on Wall Street I found the hardest thing to do was keep things simple and wasn’t sure how to get out of my own way. I’m very analytical by nature and tend to over think things. My moment of clarity came when I realized that markets are neutral and largely a reflection of you. Most of you know of fundamental and technical analysis but I realized something was missing. So I developed Psychological Analysis for investing and trading markets. In short, we are all free to do whatever we want in markets. There are no “rules” per se. My only rules are: It’s 1. legal 2. moral 3. ethical and 4. Has a positive bias (it’s profitable).  Outside of that, we are all free to do whatever we want. So it is our job to find an approach that works for you. [/su_testimonial]

ChartYourTrade: What do you find easiest about trading?

[su_testimonial name=”Adam Sarhan” photo=”https://chartyourtrade.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/TlWg3Wvm_400x400.jpeg” company=”Twitter: @AdamSarhan” url=”https://twitter.com/adamsarhan”]That’s a very good question. The easiest thing for me to do is follow my rules.[/su_testimonial]

ChartYourTrade: Do you like to do your own research?

[su_testimonial name=”Adam Sarhan” photo=”https://chartyourtrade.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/TlWg3Wvm_400x400.jpeg” company=”Twitter: @AdamSarhan” url=”https://twitter.com/adamsarhan”] I love it. It’s one of my favorite parts of the week. Doing my research allows me to stay sharp and keep my finger on the market’s pulse. I do my research on the weekend when markets are closed (that helps me remove my emotions from the decision making process and set up a game plan for next week). Then, all I have to do is follow my plan. My strategy is conservative in nature and I place a very strong focus on risk management. It’s a dry subject but very important. [/su_testimonial]

 

ChartYourTrade: What sort of research tools do you use?

[su_testimonial name=”Adam Sarhan” photo=”https://chartyourtrade.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/TlWg3Wvm_400x400.jpeg” company=”Twitter: @AdamSarhan” url=”https://twitter.com/adamsarhan”]I read a lot and have built several in-house tools. I’m in the process of building MarketTerminal.com which will allow people to use these tools and, more importantly, make better investment decisions by accessing better information. [/su_testimonial]

ChartYourTrade: What do you like in a research tool?

[su_testimonial name=”Adam Sarhan” photo=”https://chartyourtrade.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/TlWg3Wvm_400x400.jpeg” company=”Twitter: @AdamSarhan” url=”https://twitter.com/adamsarhan”]The market is VERY fragmented and it blows my mind that in 2016 we still have to go to several sources to find basic information. For example, if you want to find the strongest performing IPO’s in the last 2 years where do you go to find that information? If you want to search for the fastest growing companies in the past quarter or the past year? You’d likely have to use another source. I want to aggregate and simplify all this information into an easy to use tool for people to use. [/su_testimonial]

ChartYourTrade: What would you want to see in a report built just for you?

[su_testimonial name=”Adam Sarhan” photo=”https://chartyourtrade.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/TlWg3Wvm_400x400.jpeg” company=”Twitter: @AdamSarhan” url=”https://twitter.com/adamsarhan”]Intelligent and actionable ideas. I don’t like reports that are 50-100 pages of “fluff.”  Traditional research is 50-100 pages long but doesn’t help you make money. [/su_testimonial]

ChartYourTrade: How much trading experience do you have?

[su_testimonial name=”Adam Sarhan” photo=”https://chartyourtrade.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/TlWg3Wvm_400x400.jpeg” company=”Twitter: @AdamSarhan” url=”https://twitter.com/adamsarhan”]More than I want to admit. Over 20 years, I bought my first stock as a young teenager and have been following markets ever since. [/su_testimonial]

ChartYourTrade: Are you interested in trading education?

[su_testimonial name=”Adam Sarhan” photo=”https://chartyourtrade.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/TlWg3Wvm_400x400.jpeg” company=”Twitter: @AdamSarhan” url=”https://twitter.com/adamsarhan”]Extremely! I know that I don’t know. Actually, I tell people that’s one of my biggest strengths. Humans are born in ignorance and we all spend our lives learning new things.  All of us received an education at some point in time. And people for the rest of eternity will need to be educated on all subjects, especially financial topics.[/su_testimonial]

ChartYourTrade: What do you do? 

[su_testimonial name=”Adam Sarhan” photo=”https://chartyourtrade.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/TlWg3Wvm_400x400.jpeg” company=”Twitter: @AdamSarhan” url=”https://twitter.com/adamsarhan”]Like I told my daughter: I help people get smarter.  * In 2004, I founded Sarhan Capital which is an independent firm that offers three main services: 1. Asset Management –  2. Global Macro Strategy and Long/Short U.S. Equities 3.  Institutional Advisory Service:  * Actionable Ideas For Professional Investors: AnalyzeWallStreet.com * Research:  * Actionable Ideas For Individual Investors: FindLeadingStocks.com [/su_testimonial]

ChartYourTrade: Any last thoughts?

[su_testimonial name=”Adam Sarhan” photo=”https://chartyourtrade.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/TlWg3Wvm_400x400.jpeg” company=”Twitter: @AdamSarhan” url=”https://twitter.com/adamsarhan”]You can do it. I honestly believe that we can all make a fortune on Wall Street. It’s not easy, but it is possible. The key is to be open-minded and find an approach that works for you. I see too many people who are committed to an approach that just doesn’t work. They spent years (and thousands of dollars) learning a “system” and have every “rule” memorized but never make any money. Einstein’s definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results. Sometimes it’s important to hold yourself accountable (which is not easy by the way) and change your approach if your “system” is not yielding the results you want. You are in control. Use that power wisely. Finally, I like to say, “Always keep your losses small and never argue with the tape.” [/su_testimonial]

Thank you so much, Adam for taking the time out to speak with us and in such great detail!  

 

If you would like to learn more about Adam Advanced Stock Reports, click here.

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