Don Kaufman here. 

Volatility is back, the market’s a mess, and I couldn’t ask for a better environment to trade. Here’s how I turned two setups into big wins.

Markets have been choppy, to say the least. Volatility has crept back into the picture, and while the S&P 500 is holding on by a thread, the NASDAQ has taken a beating. 

Sector rotation is all over the place—financials one moment, tech the next—and it’s creating opportunities if you know where to look.

This week, I locked in two standout trades: a META bearish put spread that delivered a 30% gain in 2 days and a JPMorgan (JPM) intraday put that hit for a 110% winner in just 3 hours. 

These weren’t lucky guesses—they were calculated moves taking advantage of the chaos.

Here’s how it all went down.

The META Trade: Betting on a Pullback in Strength

Let’s start with Meta. 

On Tuesday, March 25, I spotted the perfect setup for a pullback. Year-to-date, Meta had been outperforming its peers, but by Monday, it was bumping into the upper edge of its expected move. In a weak, volatile market, that’s as good a signal as any for a reversal.

When volatility spikes, overperformers like Meta tend to get clipped harder—and I wasn’t going to miss it.

📌 Opening Order (March 25)

• Buy 1x META 25 APR 625 Put

• Sell 1x META 25 APR 620 Put

• Net Debit: $2.30

This was a defined-risk bearish vertical spread. It capped my risk at $2.30 while giving me a max profit of $2.70 if Meta pulled back. No guesswork. No unnecessary risk.

📌 Closing Order (March 27)

• Buy to Close 1x META 25 APR 620 Put

• Sell to Close 1x META 25 APR 625 Put

• Net Credit: $3.00

Why I Closed It:

✅ 30% gain in 2 days. When the market hands you a quick win, you take it. There’s no point risking overnight volatility when the job’s already done.

Key Takeaways:

• Meta’s overperformance made it a prime target for a pullback.

• The in-out spread gave me defined risk and a solid risk/reward profile.

• This trade was a perfect example of how to stay tactical in a choppy, two-sided market.

The JPM Trade: Fast and Profitable

Now let’s talk about JPMorgan. This wasn’t a trade for the faint of heart—it was a lightning-fast intraday play that capitalized on financials overstretching in a weak market. On March 28, JPM had a bid under it, but the move felt overdone. Financials have been all over the place lately, and I was betting on a quick reversal.

📌 Opening Order (March 28)

• Buy 1x JPM 100 (Weeklys) 28 MAR 255 Put

• Net Debit: $2.38

📌 Closing Order (3 Hours Later)

• Sell 1x JPM 100 (Weeklys) 28 MAR 255 Put

• Net Credit: $5.00

Why It Worked:

• This was a pure intraday trade. I wasn’t holding this overnight—no way. By the time the put hit $5.00, I was out.

• The financials rallied too far too fast. When the selling came, it hit JPM exactly as expected.

Key Takeaways:

• Intraday trades require precision and discipline. You’ve got to know your exit before you even enter.

• This trade delivered a 110% gain in just 3 hours because I stuck to the plan and didn’t hesitate to lock in profits.

Volatility, Rotation, and the Bigger Picture

Now let’s step back and look at the bigger picture.

The market remains wildly disjointed—sector rotation is all over the place, and the volatility is undeniable. 

Financials are seeing massive comebacks, tech is getting crushed, and the S&P 500 is teetering on its expected move. 

This week alone had a $110 expected move, with two days left now projecting another $73 move.

Here’s what’s critical:

1. Volatility Isn’t Going Anywhere
   The VIX might have dropped recently, but don’t let that fool you. The volatility futures are still signaling caution, and as I said earlier this week, “You’re not out of the woods yet.”
   

2. Choppy Markets Are Two-Sided
   This is the kind of environment where you need to play both sides. On one hand, you’ve got overextended names like Meta ripe for a pullback. On the other, you’ve got financials like JPMorgan that are rallying too far, too fast.
   

3. Patience Pays Off
   In a market this volatile, you don’t rush. You let the setups come to you, and when they do, you strike. That’s exactly what I did with META and JPM this week.
   

Teachable Moment

The META and JPM trades weren’t just wins—they were lessons in how to navigate a messy, volatile market.

• Stay Tactical: Both trades were carefully structured to take advantage of specific setups in a choppy market.

• Manage Risk: Defined-risk strategies like the META vertical spread and the short-term JPM put are how you stay in the game without blowing up your account.

• Lock in Gains: Quick wins like a 30% gain in META or a 110% return in JPM don’t just happen—you’ve got to know when to take the money and run.

The market might be choppy, but that’s where the opportunity is. Volatility is what we live for, and if you stay disciplined, it’s what will make you profitable.

Click here if you want to receive these trade ideas in real-time. 

To your success,

Don Kaufman

P.S. Join me tomorrow LIVE at 10 AM ET, as I sit down with Brandon Chapman, to discuss how traders are using Ghost Prints™ to gain clarity, trade smarter, and turn market mayhem to their advantage. Register here if you haven’t done so already. 

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