Jon Markman

Jon Markman

Jon Markman is the editor of Trader’s Advantage, a daily trading service that leverages his unique swing trading principles and aims to capture profits of 7% to 15% — and often much more with his options trades — in less than 90 days. By combining technical analysis with underlying fundamentals, Jon recommends beaten down stocks on the brink of reversal and powerful momentum stocks breaking out to new highs.

In CounterPoint Options Jon helps options traders lock in consistent profits from the volatility that rocks the market. At its heart is a proprietary trading system, Magnitude, that pinpoints indexes or sectors that have reached a critical inflection point — then translates that signal into profitable trades.

CounterPoint Options keeps volatility options trading very simple, focusing on the most popular, highly traded exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that are headed for a key reversal. Magnitude scans the market and allows subscribers to take advantage of these very liquid trading opportunities.

When CounterPoint Options first launched, it was focused solely on trading the VIX, commonly known as the “fear index.” When traders start buying up put options as “portfolio insurance,” the VIX spikes — a phenomenon that we’ll either trade directly, or use to inform our ETF trades on specific slices of the market. Our agile (and highly lucrative) strategy lets us turn volatility into profits… just like professional traders and hedge funds have been doing for years.

CounterPoint Options helps individual traders make steady, consistent profits from a very methodical approach to growing your portfolio in the midst of a turbulent market.

A pioneer in the development of stock-rating systems and screening software, Jon Markman is co-inventor on two Microsoft patents and author of the best-selling books Swing Trading and Online Investing. He was portfolio manager and senior investment strategist at a multi-strategy hedge fund from 2002 to 2005; managing editor and columnist at CNBC on MSN Money from 1997 to 2002; and an editor, investment columnist and investigative reporter at the Los Angeles Times from 1984 to 1997.

Jon won a Gerald Loeb Award for Distinguished Financial Journalism for his columns explaining market chicanery in 2002; Society of Professional Journalists awards for his 2001 reporting on Enron and the post-Sept. 11-investment environment; and was a news editor on the Los Angeles Times staff that won Pulitzer Prizes for spot-news reporting in 1992 and 1994.

A graduate of Duke University and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, Jon speaks frequently on investment topics at conferences nationwide, as well as on TV and radio.

Recent Articles

Trade of the Day: Urban Outfitters (URBN)

Looking ahead, October has a fearsome reputation — but it is largely undeserved. The month has featured a lot of the great turnarounds of the past 40 years. With this in mind, I’m recommending a bullish trade today.

Best Stocks for 2015: Ambarella Will Finish Strong (AMBA)

Ambarella has gotten demolished in the past three months, but it's poised to finish 2015 with a strong showing.

Trade of the Day: Dollar Tree (DLTR)

I've been warning of the possibility that Wall Street is already in a bear market. I will try to play counter-trend reversals from time to time…but today I’m recommending a bearish play.

Trade of the Day: iShares Silver Trust (SLV)

Silver suffered a sharp decline overnight and is down nearly 3% in early Tuesday trading. The CounterPoint Options system senses it has fallen too far, too quickly and is due for a rebound.

Trade of the Day: iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT)

The level of interest rates is one of the most important points that help investors decide on price/earnings multiples for stocks.

Trade of the Day: Caterpillar (CAT)

CAT shares have suffered in recent months due to their high level of exposure to mining and overseas sales.

Trade of the Day: iPath VIX Short-Term Futures (VXX)

My suspicion is that the market did sufficiently test the lows with Monday’s late-afternoon decline and cleared out a lot of weak hands.

Trade of the Day: Progressive Corp. (PGR)

Progressive shares have climbed about 14.5% YTD and remain in a material uptrend.

Trade of the Day: WhiteWave Foods (WWAV)

The New Age food company has profitably capitalized on its growing niche, with a share price that has risen more than 200% in the past five years.

Trade of the Day: James River Group Holdings (JRVR)

James River Group is a growing specialty insurance company operating in a profitable niche with attractive long-term growth prospects.