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tradeCompass methodology explained: How traders can use the investingLive market map

Successful trading does not require predicting every market movement. It requires a clear plan for what to do if buyers take control, what to do if sellers take control, and how to manage the trade after entry.

That is the purpose of tradeCompass, a proprietary analytical methodology at investingLive.com, created by Itai Levitan, Head of Strategy at investingLive.

The research behind each tradeCompass may involve volume-weighted prices, volume profiles, previous trading sessions, accepted value, important support and resistance areas, liquidity behavior, multiple timeframes and other market-structure factors. However, the public-facing map is intentionally…

• US indices close mixed. Dow up. S&P unchanged. Nasdaq down
• Next week's earnings calendar heats up
• Trump: Iran not ready to make a deal.
• Crude oil futures settled at $89.31
• NY Times: Trump meets with top advisors to decide whether to increase military pressure on Iran
• EU fines today, Trump 301 tariffs tomorrow?
• US and the UK planning on having a meeting on protecting shipping in the Strait of Hormuz
• Major European indices are closing the day and the week higher
• Pakistan is exploring a path toward a resumption of US – Iran talks. Oil moves lower
• Pres. Trump to meet with Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu on Tuesday at the White House
• US new-home sales for the month of June 0.628M versus 0.610M estimate
• The July Flash S&P Global Manufacturing 53.8 vs…

The major stock indices are closing the day with mixed results.

• The Dow industrial average was the best performer with a gain of 235.04 points or 0.45% at 51952.20. 
• The S&P index rose 3.68 points or 0.05% at 7411.97.
• NASDAQ index fell -161.87 points or -0.64% at 24975.82

The small-cap Russell 2000 fell -0.35% .

For the trading week,  each of the major indices were lower:

• The Dow industrial average -0.38%
• The S&P index -0.61%
• NASDAQ index -2.13%

While the major indices ended the week mixed, individual stock performance was anything but, with several high-profile technology names suffering sharp declines even as a handful of semiconductor, defense, and industrial names posted impressive gains.

Biggest Gainers This Week

• Super Micro Computer:…

Earnings season hits full stride next week, with several of the market's biggest companies set to report. Investors will be watching not only the headline numbers, but also management commentary on AI spending, consumer demand, tariffs, and the outlook for the second half of the year.

Monday

Before the Open

• AstraZeneca (AZN)
• Baker Hughes (BKR)

After the Close

• None of the major household names

Tuesday

Before the Open

• PayPal (PYPL)
• Boeing (BA)
• Coca-Cola (KO)
• UPS (UPS)
• Corning (GLW)

After the Close

• Visa (V)

Wednesday

Before the Open

• SoFi (SOFI)
• Boston Scientific (BSX)
• ADP (ADP)
• Procter & Gamble (PG)
• Humana (HUM)

After the Close

• Microsoft (MSFT)
• Meta Platforms (META)
• ARM Holdings (ARM)
• Qualcomm (QCOM)
• Lam Research (LRCX)
• Chipotle Mexican Grill…

• Iran not yet ready to make a deal.
• We can negotiate and we are speaking to them.
• Nuclear is a wave of the future
• On Saudi Arabia nuclear deal: Saudi Arabia should be a member of Abraham accords.
• On Canada: going to put a big tariff on Canada because of the smoke.
• Will see what comes of Iran talks.
• Thanks that Iran is being serious

WTI crude oil futures settled at $89.31, down $2.88 (-3.12%) on the day after trading in a wide range between $87.68 and $92.83. Despite today's sharp decline, crude still finished the week up $7.51, or 9.17%, highlighting just how volatile trading has been.

From a technical perspective, the daily chart shows buyers made a run to $93.50 on Thursday, briefly pushing above the 50% retracement of the decline from the March high to the July low at $93.26. However, the breakout quickly failed, inviting sellers back into the market. Today's rally topped out at $92.83, about 43 cents shy of that key retracement level, before reversing lower, reinforcing it as an important area of resistance.

Another key technical level remains the 100-day moving…

President Trump met Friday with top advisers and senior Cabinet officials to discuss whether to intensify the U.S. military campaign against Iran, according to a report from The New York Times. The meeting comes after the collapse of the ceasefire and the breakdown of a MOU that had been intended to bring Washington and Tehran back to the negotiating table for a longer-term nuclear agreement.

The report follows earlier news that Trump had scheduled a Cabinet meeting at Camp David and comes after Axios reported he was considering a military operation significantly larger than previous strikes against Iran. Next week, Israel's Netanyahu's is expected to visit the White House on Tuesday.

Stocks have moved lower with the NASDAQ Dow down -0.49%.…

Pres. Trump is on TruthSocial saying: 

"The European Union is at it again and, as usual, taking direct aim at GREAT American Companies! After having fined Apple, for no reason at all, 15 Billion Dollars, Meta, 3 Billion Dollars, Amazon 2.5 Billion Dollars, and many others, we have just been informed that Google, a truly advanced and amazing group, has been fined yet another 1 Billion Dollars, without explanation. This brings the Google total to over 18 Billion Dollars! This illegal and highly discriminatory practice started at these high levels during the first year of the Sleepy Joe Biden Administration, but it’s not going to continue during the Trump Administration. The United States of America is not a “PIGGYBANK” for Europe, nor will…

The AUDUSD has spent the past eight trading days trapped in a relatively tight range between 0.6961 and 0.7026, with little sign of sustained directional conviction. Right in the middle of that range sit the 100-hour and 200-hour moving averages, currently at 0.6991 and 0.6994. If price action remains contained, those two averages will converge even further over the next few hours. When the 100- and 200-hour moving averages come together, they typically reflect a market lacking a clear trend—and that has been the story for the past week and a half.

The encouraging part is that non-trending markets eventually transition into trending markets. The AUDUSD may be stuck in the mud for now, but periods of consolidation often lead to meaningful…

The United States and the United Kingdom are planning a high-level conference in London next week to discuss forming an international coalition to protect commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Axios.

The meeting could bring together defense ministers and senior military leaders from Western and regional countries, with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine among the potential attendees. The initiative is viewed as a key part of Washington's strategy for eventually winding down its conflict with Iran while helping restore stability to global energy markets.

This The U.S. is reportedly encouraging allies to contribute naval vessels, mine-clearing ships and surveillance drones…

European equities finished Friday on a strong note, with broad-based gains across the major indices as traders headed into the weekend. Sentiment was boosted by a better-than-expected round of S&P Global flash PMI data, which pointed to improving business activity across much of Europe. Germany led the way, with manufacturing accelerating to 52.2 from an expected 50.4, while services also edged higher to 49.6. Across the eurozone, manufacturing rose to 52.0 (vs. 51.5 expected) and services climbed to 51.6 (vs. 49.8 expected), signaling a broader pickup in economic momentum. The UK also surprised to the upside, with manufacturing at 52.8 and services at 51.8, both beating forecasts. France was the lone soft spot, where manufacturing…

Reuters, citing sources, reports that Pakistan is attempting to revive a path toward renewed U.S.-Iran talks aimed at ending the conflict. Markets have seen similar headlines before, but the report has nevertheless helped improve risk sentiment.

U.S. stocks have moved higher on the news. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up about 350 points (+0.67%) at 52,063, the S&P 500 has gained 39 points (+0.52%) to 7,447.13, while the Nasdaq has recovered from a session low of -219.60 points and is now fluctuating around unchanged near 25,139.

Crude oil has also extended its decline, trading at $88.25, down nearly $4.00 on the day. From a technical perspective, the next key support zone comes in between $86.66 and $87.07. The $87.07 level marks the…