Why I Took a Long Trade on Gold (XAUUSD) Today
A detailed breakdown of my trading decision, so you can replicate the approach.
I usually start my trading day around 9:30, one hour before the London session opens. I like checking how the market opened, where the price is reacting, and determining the current bias for the day.
I know many traders prefer the NY session. Me? I'm a London session guy—I love it. I typically trade both sessions, but once London closes, I'm done for the day.
Today, when I opened the XAUUSD 15-minute chart, this was the scenario:
As you can see on the chart:
Price was consolidating around the Daily Open.
My bias for the day was bullish.
We were clearly at a support zone, with the low around 2930 holding firmly—no bearish Market Structure Shift.
Overall, markets remain uncertain, and the S&P500 hasn't fully regained its uptrend. Investors are shifting to a risk-off stance, meaning they're moving into gold—the true store of value (nope, not Bitcoin).
I have to admit, this was an easy trade. With markets falling sharply, going long on gold was a straightforward decision. I entered long at the bounce, placed my SL just below 2930 (the point at which a bearish structure shift would invalidate my trade), and targeted a clean 2 R/R.
The market then made a strong impulsive move upwards (another bullish confirmation), and by the time London opened, my trade was already close to the TP.
Within an hour, my TP was automatically hit, closing the trade. Gold continued rising afterward, but I didn't care—I wasn't looking to catch the absolute top or bottom. My goal is simply to secure profits and finish safely.
Believe me: excessive greed in trading will destroy your portfolio.
As you can see, several factors contributed to this successful trade:
Timeframe Alignment: Higher timeframe (daily) matched lower timeframe (15m)
Economic Fundamentals: Understanding gold’s role during market uncertainty
Timing: Entering the trade at the right market session and support level
Normally, I avoid taking longs near Yesterday's High, but gold behaves differently during periods of uncertainty. Making an exception here paid off nicely.
Important note: I risked exactly 1.13% of my account on this trade—not 5%, 10%, or any crazy number you see on social media. Trading success is much more about disciplined risk management than it is about your strategy. Being professional means controlling impulses and using your brain over emotions.
Hope this breakdown helps you become a better trader too.
See you on the next update.