Weekly Market Review: Before the Market Turned

Week ending November 13, 2026 | Robert Desmond, The Contrarian Trader

Our short positions are now profitable. We also closed MGM for a 14.54% gain. Here is the work behind those updates.

This weekly market review follows the decisions as they developed: yields and the dollar, potential short setups, an exit from MGM, and Friday’s brief intraday guidance.

If you followed along throughout the week, this brings the pieces together. If you missed a few updates, it gives you a way to catch up. And if you’re considering membership, it shows what it means to follow the analysis while decisions are being made.

I’m also sharing last weekend’s paid Week Ahead commentary as a complimentary sample. Watch it alongside the recap and judge the work for yourself.

The weekend starting point: what members were watching

The Week Ahead commentary gives us a starting point for the trading week: the market backdrop, the setups worth watching, and the conditions that could change our outlook.

In Tuesday’s Market Wrap, I returned to a point I’d discussed over the weekend: another consecutive down week in bond yields was becoming less likely. That relationship mattered because renewed strength in yields could change the appeal of positions that had benefited from their decline.

The value comes from carrying that analysis forward as prices develop.

Watch last weekend’s complimentary Week Ahead commentary →

Tuesday: yields, short setups, and the decision to exit MGM

Tuesday’s analysis connected the broader market picture to specific trading decisions.

We discussed the move higher in bond yields and revisited the dollar’s prior weekly breakout. Gold’s rally during Monday’s dollar pullback did not, by itself, establish that the larger dollar trend had reversed.

We also examined potential bearish formations in the S&P 500, Nasdaq, and semiconductors. Those were tactical opportunities to evaluate, with the risk of a seasonal rally still part of the discussion.

Watch Tuesday’s Market Wrap: yields, the dollar, and potential shorts →

MGM: turning an open gain into a completed trade

We had highlighted MGM on October 15 and entered October 29. On November 10, we closed the position for a reported 14.54% gain in 12 calendar days.

Rising yields and overhead resistance helped shape the decision to take the profit. The conditions supporting a position deserve reassessment even when the trade is working.

MGM is one result within this week’s story. The broader lesson is the process: identify a setup, wait for confirmation, enter, and reassess the reasons for holding.

Watch the MGM trade review: the entry, exit, and reasoning →

Wednesday: defining what could change the outlook

By Wednesday, we were considering the possibility of a countertrend move in precious metals as the dollar appeared extended on its daily chart. That did not eliminate the need for confirmation before buying gold or mining stocks.

We also revisited semiconductors near resistance. I explained that a strong weekly close above that area would argue against carrying a short position into the following week.

That condition matters. Members need to understand what supports a trade and what would weaken its case.

Watch Wednesday’s Market Wrap: the dollar and semiconductor resistance →

Thursday’s positioning: what Friday’s update confirmed

In Friday morning’s commentary, I described the E-mini short exposure initiated Thursday as a hedge against long positions.

In the follow-up Coffee Talk, I explained that we had entered short near resistance and added as price broke to new daily lows. A further break to new weekly lows was a condition I was watching before considering additional exposure.

This gives the earlier bearish discussion a concrete follow-through: an explanation of positioning and the price behavior behind it.

As of my end-of-week update, our short positions are profitable. That describes the positions’ status; it does not mean every gain has been realized or that every trade was a winner.

Friday: brief updates while the market was moving

Market Wrap brings the broader picture together. Coffee Talks and other brief intraday updates let members hear what has changed during the session and why it matters.

Friday’s three recordings show how that works.

Before the open: a decision point, and a reason to wait

In the first Coffee Talk, I flagged rising bond yields and set out the immediate question for Nasdaq futures: would price break to higher highs or lower lows?

I also discussed LABU. Although I was interested in adding, I did not yet have the setup I wanted. Interest in a trade is not a reason to force an entry.

Members received both an area to monitor and an explanation of where I was choosing patience.

Later that morning: following up as support broke

In Coffee Talk II, I returned to the earlier question. Support had broken and lower levels had developed.

That was a documented follow-up to the morning’s decision point. I then explained what I was watching next: whether the market could produce a countertrend rebound, or whether another break lower without a meaningful bounce would signal greater weakness.

The update helped members distinguish the move already underway from the next scenario still requiring confirmation.

Apple: the idea, the entry, and the risks

In a separate update, I explained that I had entered bearish exposure to Apple after observing resistance and a failed intraday breakout.

I also made the limitations clear: this was a lower-conviction trade, and entering before lunch carried timing risk. Members heard the rationale and the caution together.

Member shout-out: Erik in Canada

Erik, one of our newest members, brought the Apple short idea to our attention. I thought the initial call was early, but his thesis had merit. We waited, then executed. Credit to Erik for the idea—I helped navigate the trade.

Those private recordings remain inside the membership. Their role in this review is to show the kind of guidance members received: brief explanations of what changed, what I was watching, and why I acted or waited.

For the public Friday broadcast, watch Friday’s Market Wrap replay →.

What this week’s updates gave members

The weekend outlook established the starting point. The Market Wraps developed the analysis. The intraday updates brought members back into the discussion as conditions changed.

For traders with day jobs, that can make the work easier to follow. Friday’s Coffee Talks were approximately four and five minutes long; the Apple setup update was under two minutes. Each addressed a specific question without requiring an afternoon in front of a screen.

If you’re already a member and missed those updates, start fresh with Saturday’s Week Ahead commentary. You don’t have to work through a backlog before getting involved again. Look for the brief Coffee Talk and trading updates in the member Slack community, and make sure notifications for those updates suit your schedule.

If you’re evaluating membership, consider the full experience shown here: preparation before the week, analysis as conditions develop, and explanations around the decisions themselves.

Saturday’s Week Ahead: prepare for the next decisions

In the Saturday, November 14 Week Ahead commentary, I’ll revisit:

• Our positioning heading toward Monday’s open.
• What yields and the dollar are signaling.
• The levels and price behavior that could support or challenge the outlook.
• Where we are looking for opportunities and where patience remains warranted.

This week’s completed trades are behind us. The next decisions are still ahead.

Already a member? Make Saturday’s commentary your starting point for the new week, and follow the brief intraday updates in Slack as they are posted.

Not yet a member?📈 Know your next move before the opening bell

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Join before Saturday’s commentary to follow our preparation for the trading week beginning November 16.

— Bob Desmond
The Contrarian Trader