Jon Markman

Editor, Trader's Advantage and CounterPoint Options

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

Recession Can’t Keep This Retailer Down

By Jon Markman, Editor, Trader's Advantage and CounterPoint Options Jun 5, 2009

Retailers have gotten off to a slow start this month, but there's one company that has been bucking the trend and surprising investors with its strong growth in spite of the recession. In fact, it has posted earnings surprises of 55% to 400% over the past five quarters. Keep reading to learn more about this double-digit grower.

GMO Forecasting High-Quality U.S. Stocks as Best Asset Class

By Jon Markman, Editor, Trader's Advantage and CounterPoint Options Jun 5, 2009

For the last few years, GMO's highly regarded seven-year forecasts have been dismal. But now that's changed -- in fact, the latest forecast is one of the sunniest it has ever published. Keep reading to find out what asset classes could deliver the biggest returns.

Cerner Corp. (CERN): One Stock You Need to Own STAT!

By Jon Markman, Editor, Trader's Advantage and CounterPoint Options May 26, 2009

One of the strongest sectors over the past six months has been companies focused on medical practice and hospital software thanks to President Obama's economic stimulus plan. My favorite company in this space has been on a tear in 2009, but it's likely to challenge its all-time highs soon.

Stress Tests Undressed

By Jon Markman, Editor, Trader's Advantage and CounterPoint Options May 11, 2009

The stress tests were like a teacher asking kids to create a test, then take it and grade themselves. The teacher, in this case the Fed and Treasury, then came along and just checked the math. It's an exercise that needed to be done, but it really solves nothing for the most troubled banks.

Where Will the Wheel Spin Next? Basic Materials & Energy

By Jon Markman, Editor, Trader's Advantage and CounterPoint Options May 11, 2009

I believe the strongest rotation now is into basic materials and energy, which is why stocks in Brazil, Australia, South Africa and the Republic of Texas have been shining.