Everything I Learned from My Hot Chart Summer, and How My 21 Stocks Picks Have Performed.

For two separate periods, the author agreed to write 21 guest columns for Barchart's Chart of the Day newsletter, acting as a technical analyst and presenting individual stock picks. After the dust settled, the author reviewed the performance of these picks. The average stock experienced a 24% high-low range and offered a 15% potential gain with a 9% risk of a drawdown.

The most revealing aspect of the performance was the lowest closing price, which showed that stocks like Tesla, Zscaler, and JD.com suffered significant drawdowns before recovering. The author emphasizes the importance of risk management and exit rules in a real portfolio, as holding through deep drawdowns may not always be the best strategy.

The experience rekindled the author's passion for individual equity selection and showcased the potential power of tactical stock and ETF picks when combined with macro overlay risk management.