The weekend is when professional traders get their edge. While the markets are closed and casual traders are relaxing, serious traders review, analyze, and prepare for the week ahead. A few hours of weekend prep can dramatically improve your performance during the trading week.
Why Weekend Prep Matters
During market hours, there is no time for deep analysis. You are reacting to price action and managing positions. The weekend offers something precious: uninterrupted time to think without market noise.
- Objective analysis: No live prices means less emotional bias
- Big picture view: Step back from daily noise to see trends
- Learning time: Review mistakes without pressure to trade
- Preparation advantage: Start Monday with a clear plan
Key insight: The traders who consistently profit are the ones who prepare when others are not watching. Weekend work is where edges are built.
Part 1: Weekly Performance Review
Before looking ahead, look back. Honest self-assessment is how traders improve.
Review Every Trade
Go through each trade from the past week:
- Did you follow your entry rules?
- Did you manage the trade according to plan?
- Did you exit properly, or did emotions interfere?
- What would you do differently?
Calculate Your Statistics
Track these key metrics weekly:
- Win rate: What percentage of trades were profitable?
- Average win vs. average loss: Is your risk/reward working?
- Largest loss: Did you respect position sizing rules?
- Number of trades: Did you overtrade or undertrade?
- Net P&L: Bottom line result for the week
Identify Patterns
Look for recurring themes in your results:
- Which setups performed best?
- What time of day did you trade best?
- Did certain market conditions favor you?
- What triggered your worst trades?
Journal Lessons Learned
Write down the key takeaways from the week. What will you do differently? What will you continue doing? This creates a personal trading playbook over time.
Part 2: Market Analysis
With your personal review complete, shift focus to the markets.
Analyze the Major Indexes
Start with the big picture:
- S&P 500 (SPY): Overall market direction
- Nasdaq (QQQ): Technology sector leadership
- Russell 2000 (IWM): Small-cap sentiment
- Dow (DIA): Blue-chip behavior
For each index, assess:
- Weekly trend direction
- Key support and resistance levels
- Volume patterns
- Breadth indicators
Sector Analysis
Identify which sectors are leading and lagging:
- Which sectors showed relative strength?
- Which sectors were weak?
- Are there sector rotation patterns developing?
- Any sectors setting up for potential moves?
Review Key Levels
Mark important levels on your charts:
- Previous week high and low
- Monthly and quarterly levels
- Major moving averages (50, 100, 200 day)
- Areas of consolidation or gaps
Pro tip: Use weekly charts for big picture analysis. Daily noise disappears, and true trends become clear.
Part 3: Build Your Watchlist
Create a focused list of stocks for the coming week.
Scanning Criteria
Run scans based on your trading strategy:
- Stocks at or near key support/resistance
- Breakout or breakdown candidates
- Unusual volume patterns
- Relative strength leaders
- Options with favorable setups
Watchlist Size
Keep it manageable:
- Primary list: 5-10 stocks you are most focused on
- Secondary list: 10-20 additional possibilities
- Too many stocks means diluted focus
For Each Watchlist Stock
Document your analysis:
- Key support and resistance levels
- Entry criteria - what needs to happen for you to act?
- Initial stop loss level
- Potential targets
- Any catalysts (earnings, news) coming up
Part 4: Plan for Catalysts
Know what events could move markets during the week.
Economic Calendar
Review scheduled economic releases:
- Federal Reserve announcements or speeches
- Jobs data, inflation reports, GDP
- Consumer sentiment indicators
- Housing and manufacturing data
Earnings Calendar
Identify upcoming earnings announcements:
- Major companies reporting
- Stocks on your watchlist with earnings
- Industry leaders that might move sectors
Other Events
- Options expiration dates
- Index rebalancing
- Political events or hearings
- International market events
Part 5: Set Weekly Goals
Define what you want to achieve, focusing on process over profits.
Good Weekly Goals
- "Follow my trading plan on every trade"
- "Take only A-grade setups"
- "Honor my stop losses without exception"
- "Limit myself to X trades maximum"
- "Review each trade within 30 minutes of closing"
Poor Weekly Goals
- "Make $X this week" (outcome-focused)
- "Win every trade" (unrealistic)
- "Trade every day" (forces action when none is warranted)
Sample Weekend Prep Checklist
Use this as a template for your own process:
Saturday (1-2 hours)
- Review all trades from the past week
- Calculate weekly statistics
- Journal lessons learned and insights
- Take a mental break - enjoy your weekend
Sunday (1-2 hours)
- Analyze major indexes on weekly charts
- Review sector performance and rotation
- Build watchlist with key levels marked
- Check economic and earnings calendar
- Set process goals for the week
- Prepare your trading station for Monday
Make Weekly Reviews Easy
Pro Trader Dashboard gives you instant weekly statistics and trade history, making your weekend review faster and more insightful.
Summary
Weekend preparation is a competitive advantage that most traders ignore. Use Saturday to review your past week's performance honestly, calculating statistics and identifying patterns in your trading. Use Sunday to analyze markets, build a focused watchlist with clear entry criteria, and review upcoming catalysts. Set process-focused goals for the week ahead. The 2-4 hours you invest on the weekend will pay dividends throughout the trading week, helping you act decisively instead of scrambling to figure out what to do when markets open.
Learn more: morning routine for traders and complete trading routine guide.