How Does "Markets in Profile" Teach Traders to Profit from the Auction Process?
Markets in Profile refines Market Profile and auction market theory for practical trading. Co-authored by James F. Dalton, Robert B. Dalton and Eric T. Jones, the book shows how to read where markets find value, detect balance versus imbalance, and align trades with the market’s auction process for better timing and risk control.
Analysis
The book expands Market Profile into a trader’s workflow: profile construction, interpretation of value areas, and dynamic responses to evolving auction conditions. It emphasizes reading the market in real time — observing where time and volume concentrate — rather than predicting direction from indicators. By combining clear frameworks with case studies, the authors translate theory into repeatable actions for entries, exits and position sizing.
Core Concepts
- Auction market framework: Markets discover price through continuous buyer-seller interactions.
- Value area & point of control (POC): Zones where most trading occurred; act as anchors for future price action.
- Balance vs imbalance days: Balance suggests range-bound auctioning; imbalance signals initiation of more directional moves.
- Volume-time structure: Where price spent time (and volume) reveals market acceptance or rejection of levels.
- Initiation and continuation signals: Low-volume extensions and single prints can indicate directional conviction.
Practical Takeaways
- Use profiles to identify whether the market is in balance (trade the range) or showing imbalance (look for directional entries).
- Prefer entries near fair-value re-tests or on clear breakouts with confirming volume/time structure.
- Manage risk by sizing positions according to where the POC and value area lie—place stops beyond structure, not arbitrary points.
- Look for single prints, low-volume tails, or value migration as early clues to trending behavior.
- Practice reading profiles across multiple timeframes to align short-term trades with higher-timeframe market context.
Key Lessons at a Glance
Markets are auctions: interpret price as the outcome of negotiation, not just a number sequence.
Structure guides decisions: value areas and POC provide objective anchors for entries and exits.
Align with context: trade with market condition — avoid forcing trend trades in balanced auctions.
SEBI Disclaimer: The information provided in this post is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice. Readers must perform their own due diligence and consult a registered investment advisor before making any investment decisions. The views expressed are general in nature and may not suit individual investment objectives or financial situations.
Written by Indian-Share-Tips.com, which is a SEBI Registered Advisory Services
