The Sunday Prep #1: Week of October 19, 2026
Updated: Oct 24
Sunday, 10-18-2026. All times Pacific. Every price comes from TradingView daily data through Friday's close, 10-16-2026.
Welcome to the desk
Last week, the four markets did not move together. Micro Nasdaq fell 5.52% and closed just above last week's low. Micro crude rallied 7.81% and finished 33 cents below its weekly high. The S&P slipped 1.98%, and gold barely moved.
Every Sunday you'll get the same four things for gold (MGC), Nasdaq-100 (MNQ), S&P 500 (MES) and crude oil (MCL):
The map: last week's high and low and the key moving averages, marked on a daily chart.
The calendar: every scheduled event that can move these markets, in Pacific time.
The questions: two scenarios per market for you to plan around.
The lesson: one trading concept, worked through with this week's real numbers.
What you won't get: buy or sell calls, price targets or signals. This newsletter shows you where the levels are and helps you prepare. What you do at those levels is your decision.
Last week in four charts
Each snapshot shows about two months of daily candles. The shaded box is last week, and the dashed lines mark its high and low. The 21 EMA (cream) tracks the past month or so. The 50 EMA (periwinkle) tracks about a quarter. The 200 EMA (gold) tracks roughly a year. Traders watch these averages because many others watch them too.
MNQ: the week's biggest mover
MNQ fell 1,717 points (5.52%). It closed at 29,391.50, only 123 points above last week's low of 29,268.75. Both the 21 and 50 EMAs now sit above price. The 200 EMA is far below, at 28,185.07.
MES: sitting between two lines
MES dropped 155.50 points (1.98%). It closed at 7,704.25, 28 points above last week's low and 19 points below the 50 EMA. That puts a narrow zone between two levels traders watch.
MCL: knocking on the high
MCL rallied $7.17 (7.81%) and closed at $99.02, just 33 cents below last week's high of $99.35. Price sits above all three EMAs. Contract roll alert: standard WTI November crude (CLX26) stops trading Tuesday, 10-20. Micro WTI stops trading the day before the standard contract, which makes MCL November's last day Monday, 10-19. Continuous charts like MCL1! then switch to December, and December's price can differ from November's. Confirm the date with your broker.
MGC: the quiet one
MGC slipped $35.20 (0.83%) and closed at $4,181.10, inside last week's range of $4,094.80 to $4,242.30. All three EMAs sit above price. The 21 EMA, at $4,223.95, is the nearest.
Key levels at a glance
Market | Fri close | Prev wk high | Prev wk low | 21 EMA | 50 EMA | 200 EMA |
MNQ | 29,391.50 | 31,290.00 | 29,268.75 | 30,476.85 | 30,113.47 | 28,185.07 |
MES | 7,704.25 | 7,887.00 | 7,676.00 | 7,779.19 | 7,723.24 | 7,347.73 |
MCL | 99.02 | 99.35 | 89.61 | 93.45 | 91.01 | 83.73 |
MGC | 4,181.10 | 4,242.30 | 4,094.80 | 4,223.95 | 4,287.72 | 4,319.36 |
Prices come from TradingView's continuous front-month daily bars through 10-16-2026. EMAs are calculated on daily closes. Your broker's numbers can differ slightly, especially around a contract roll.
This week's calendar
The biggest scheduled events are Netflix on Tuesday and Meta, Tesla, IBM and the EIA oil report on Wednesday. "Before open" means before 6:30 a.m. PT, and "after close" means after 1:00 p.m. PT.
Mon 10-19, 7:00 a.m.: NAHB Housing Market Index (Oct). MES, MNQ
Mon 10-19, close: last trading day for Micro WTI November (MCL)
Tue 10-20, before open: GM, GE Aerospace, RTX, 3M, Halliburton earnings. MES, MCL
Tue 10-20, 5:30 a.m.: housing starts and building permits (Sep). MES, MNQ
Tue 10-20, 7:00 a.m.: pending home sales (Sep). MES
Tue 10-20, after close: Netflix, Intuitive Surgical, Capital One earnings. MNQ, MES
Tue 10-20, 1:30 p.m.: API weekly oil inventories (industry estimate). MCL
Tue 10-20, close: last trading day for standard WTI November (CLX26)
Wed 10-21, 7:30 a.m.: EIA Weekly Petroleum Status Report. MCL
Wed 10-21, 10:00 a.m.: 20-year Treasury bond auction, $13B. MGC, MES
Wed 10-21, after close: Meta, Tesla, IBM, Texas Instruments, Lam Research earnings. MNQ, MES
Thu 10-22, 5:30 a.m.: weekly jobless claims. All four
Thu 10-22, before open: Procter & Gamble, Lockheed Martin, Union Pacific, Valero earnings. MES, MCL
Thu 10-22, 7:00 a.m.: Leading Economic Index (Sep). MES
Thu 10-22, after close: Newmont earnings (gold miner). MGC context
Fri 10-23, before open: American Express, SLB earnings. MES, MCL
Fri 10-23, 6:45 a.m.: S&P Global flash PMIs (Oct). All four
Fri 10-23, 7:00 a.m.: University of Michigan sentiment and inflation expectations (Oct final). All four
Fri 10-23, 10:00 a.m.: Baker Hughes rig count. MCL
The Fed is quiet. Officials are in their pre-meeting blackout, so no Fed speeches are scheduled. The next FOMC decision is Wednesday, October 28. It is not a projections meeting. Earnings dates come from company announcements and can move, so check the company's investor-relations page the day before.
Where the levels meet the calendar
A level matters most when a scheduled event pushes price into it. For each market, write down two scenarios before Monday and what would prove each one wrong. These are planning prompts, not predictions.
MNQ: earnings meet last week's low
Price starts the week about 123 points above the 29,268.75 low. Netflix reports Tuesday after the close, and Meta and Tesla report Wednesday after the close. Those reports land during Globex hours, when liquidity is thinner.
Scenario A: the low holds and price works back toward the 50 EMA (30,113). What would you need to see before you believe it?
Scenario B: an earnings reaction breaks the low overnight. Will you be flat before 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, or will you hold through the report? Decide now, not at 1:05.
MES: a narrow zone
MES closed between the 7,676 weekly low and the 7,723 50 EMA, a gap of only 47 points. Seventy-three S&P 500 companies report this week, including GM, Procter & Gamble and American Express.
Scenario A: price reclaims the 50 EMA and MES holds up better than MNQ.
Scenario B: price loses 7,676 and follows tech lower. How would you tell a real break from a quick stop run?
MCL: the high and the roll
Crude closed 33 cents below its 99.35 weekly high. It has two inventory reports this week: API on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. and EIA on Wednesday at 7:30 a.m. Micro November crude stops trading Monday, so know which contract month your platform has you in before you place an order.
Scenario A: the inventory data pushes price through the high. Remember that $100 is a round number many traders watch.
Scenario B: price rejects the high and falls back toward the 21 EMA (93.45). Which contract month are you actually trading this week?
MGC: inside the range
Gold has no gold-specific data on the calendar. It often follows interest rates and the dollar, so Wednesday's 20-year bond auction and Friday's inflation expectations are the events to watch.
Scenario A: price stays inside the 4,094.80 to 4,242.30 range.
Scenario B: price tests the 21 EMA (4,223.95) just under last week's high. How does price act when it reaches that zone?
Lesson of the week: what one tick is worth
A tick is the smallest price move a contract can make. Before you size a position or place a stop, know what one tick costs you per contract.
MGC (Micro gold): 10 troy ounces. Tick $0.10 per ounce = $1.00
MNQ (Micro Nasdaq-100): $2 x index. Tick 0.25 points = $0.50
MES (Micro S&P 500): $5 x index. Tick 0.25 points = $1.25
MCL (Micro WTI crude): 100 barrels. Tick $0.01 per barrel = $1.00
Try it with this week's levels. MES closed 28.25 points above last week's low. That's 113 ticks, or 113 x $1.25 = $141.25 per contract. MNQ closed 122.75 points above its low: 491 ticks x $0.50 = $245.50 per contract. The two distances look similar on a chart but cost different amounts. Do this math before the bell, not after. Check specs against the exchange before trading; CME publishes them on each contract page.
Your prep checklist
Put this week's event times on your calendar in your own time zone.
Decide which events you will sit out, such as the first minutes after 7:30 a.m. Wednesday for MCL.
Write two scenarios for each market you trade, plus what would prove each one wrong.
Know the dollar value of your stop per contract before you enter.
Set a daily loss limit you will stop at, and write it down.
Friday review: Which scenario played out? Did you follow your plan at each event? Reply and tell me what you noticed, and I may use it in a future lesson.
Study the contracts behind this post: MNQ · MES · MGC · MCL. Tools and calendars are on our Resources page.
For educational purposes only. Martech Holdings Incorporated LLC does not provide individualized investment advice, trade signals or recommendations. Futures trading involves substantial risk, and you can lose more than your initial margin. Past results do not guarantee future results. Event dates and times can change, so confirm them with the source before acting. Read our Risk Disclaimer and Privacy Policy.
Sources
Kiplinger, economic calendar October 19-23 (updated October 16, 2026)
Price data: TradingView daily bars for CME_MINI:MES1!, CME_MINI:MNQ1!, COMEX_MINI:MGC1! and NYMEX:MCL1! through 10-16-2026. Charts drawn by Martech Holdings.
Comments