All-Time Highs Keep Coming: Here's How to Trade Them

Simpler Trading
Simpler TradingMay 14, 2026

Why It Matters

The approach equips traders with a practical framework to profit from relentless market highs while mitigating risk in a low‑volatility environment, preserving capital for sustained bullish trends.

Key Takeaways

  • Markets set seven all‑time highs in first ten trading days of May.
  • Traditional pullbacks to daily 21‑EMA are absent; faster averages dominate.
  • Use daily 5‑EMA/8‑EMA on 30‑minute charts for entry points.
  • Look for 30‑minute squeeze near rising daily 5‑EMA for short‑term trades.
  • Cheap puts or XSP butterflies can hedge long exposure in low‑volatility environment.

Summary

Heather opens by noting that the S&P 500 has logged seven new all‑time highs in just ten trading days of May, while red‑day closes remain scarce. She points out that the market’s usual pullback to the 21‑day EMA has vanished, forcing traders to rely on faster moving averages—specifically the daily 5‑EMA and 8‑EMA—when charting intraday price action. The core of her strategy is to watch 30‑minute charts for a tight Bollinger‑style squeeze that coincides with a pullback to the rising daily 5‑EMA. When both conditions align, she recommends entering short‑duration options or calls, targeting expirations three to four days out, often on Fridays, to capture the next upward leg. She illustrates the method with recent moves in Walmart, LUNR, Nvidia, Micron and Riot, highlighting how each stock either bounced off the daily 5‑EMA or formed a 30‑minute squeeze before surging. Heather also stresses that low VIX levels make puts inexpensive, suggesting cheap hedges such as XSP butterflies to protect long portfolios without committing large capital. For traders, the takeaway is clear: in a market that repeatedly breaks new highs, traditional swing‑trade pullbacks are rare, so success hinges on tighter time‑frames, faster averages, and opportunistic, low‑risk hedges to manage downside while riding the rally.

Original Description

The market just keeps pushing higher — SPX and Nasdaq are hitting fresh all-time highs, and traders are facing a tricky question:
How do you trade a market that looks too strong to short… but too extended to chase?
In this video, Heather Vanek breaks down how she approaches an aggressive bullish market environment using faster moving averages, smaller timeframes, and short-duration options setups. Instead of waiting for a full pullback to the daily 21 EMA, Heather explains why traders may need to watch the daily 5 EMA, the daily 8 EMA, and the 30-minute squeeze for tactical entries.
You’ll learn how Heather is analyzing setups in names like SPX, QQQ, NVDA, WMT, RIOT, TXN, and more, plus how she thinks about using inexpensive index hedges when the market is extended and volatility is low.
Chapters / Timestamps:
00:00 — Market hits another all-time high
01:03 — Nasdaq breakout, OPEX, and +3 ATR strength
02:57 — Why this market is hard to trade
03:27 — Trading pullbacks when the daily 21 is too far away
04:22 — Using the daily 5, daily 8, and 30-minute chart
06:16 — The 30-minute squeeze setup Heather is watching
07:59 — Stock examples: WMT, LULU, NVDA, MSTR, RIOT, TXN
13:35 — Low volatility and why hedges may make sense
15:26 — XSP butterfly hedge example and final thoughts
In this video, you’ll discover:
Why repeated all-time highs can make trading more difficult, not easier
How to use the daily 5 EMA and daily 8 EMA when the market refuses to pull back
Why the 30-minute squeeze can help identify tactical upside entries
How to think about short-duration options trades in fast-moving markets
Why a hedge is different from a bearish trade
How XSP butterflies may offer a lower-cost way to hedge a bullish book
This is a must-watch for traders trying to stay long in a powerful bull market without blindly chasing breakouts.
Tickers discussed: SPX, QQQ, XSP, NVDA, WMT, RIOT, TXN, MSTR, SMH
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#StockMarket #OptionsTrading #TradingStrategy
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