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In this interview, Zaheer Anwari sits down on the Desire To Trade podcast to unpack how a long-term trend trader actually operates in the wild. A mentor in the Dynamic Trader community, Zaheer explains why he hunts breakouts across FX, stocks, and commodities, and how patience—not prediction—drives his edge. If you’ve wondered how full-time traders keep things simple yet scalable, his routine of one hour on weekends and minutes per day during the week is the blueprint.
In the piece below, you’ll learn Zaheer’s practical process: how he builds a focused watchlist, aligns weekly/daily trends, and times entries with end-of-day closes to dodge intraday noise. We’ll cover his risk-first mindset (small, predefined risk and wide, sensible stops), why breakouts are easier for most traders than pullbacks, and the simple levels—like round numbers—that guide targets and trailing stops. You’ll also see how diversifying beyond one market and using a repeatable weekend workflow can help you trade around a day job without staring at charts all day.
Zaheer Anwari Playbook & Strategy: How He Actually Trades
Core Philosophy: Ride Trends, Keep It Simple
Zaheer runs a clean, end-of-day trend approach designed to work around real life. He hunts sustained moves across FX, stocks, and commodities, and avoids prediction in favor of clear evidence on the chart.
- Trade with price, not opinions; no forecasting required.
- End-of-day decisions only; ignore intraday noise.
- Prefer simple, repeatable rules you can explain in one minute.
- Focus on a few high-quality trends over frequent, low-quality trades.
Market Universe & Watchlist: Go Where Momentum Lives
He casts a wide net, then narrows fast. The watchlist is built from relative strength, so attention stays on symbols already moving.
- Scan FX majors/minors, liquid equities/ETFs, and key commodity contracts weekly.
- Rank by 3–6 month relative strength; the top quartile only makes the watchlist.
- Remove choppy or overlapping markets (e.g., multiple highly correlated pairs).
- Keep the active list lean (15–30 tickers) to make EOD execution effortless.
Trend Definition: Align Weekly and Daily
Zaheer stacks multiple timeframes to avoid fighting bigger currents. Weekly defines the tide; daily times participation.
- Weekly uptrend = higher highs/lows and closes above a rising 30–50 SMA.
- Daily must confirm with higher highs/lows and price above the same SMA band.
- Stand aside when weekly and daily conflict; wait for alignment.
- Re-qualify trends each weekend; downgrade anything that loses structure.
Breakout Setup: Buy Strength, Not Dips
He favors clean breakouts from tight structures because they’re simple to identify and easy to manage.
- Identify a 3–8 week range or tight flag with contracting volatility (ATR falling).
- Mark the highest daily close of the structure; require a full-body breakout close above it.
- Prefer round-number clears (00/50 levels) that often trigger follow-through.
- Skip messy patterns with overlapping candles and long wicks.
Entry Triggers: End-of-Day Only
Entries are decided after the close to avoid emotional intraday decision-making. If it’s not there at the close, it doesn’t count.
- Enter on a confirmed daily close beyond the breakout level.
- If using stop orders, place them just beyond the breakout with a same-day cancel if not triggered next session.
- No chasing: if a breakout gaps far beyond risk parameters, pass and wait for the next one.
- Limit total new positions per day to maintain execution quality.
Position Sizing: Small, Consistent, Risk-First
Sizing is the edge guardrail. Zaheer keeps risk small so a streak of losers can’t dent confidence or capital.
- Risk 0.25%–0.5% per trade (1% max for advanced traders).
- Use 1× to 2× ATR(14) to translate chart risk into position size.
- Cap total portfolio heat at 2%–3% (sum of open risks).
- Reduce size when adding to related markets or correlated positions.
Initial Stops: Logical, Volatility-Aware
Stops live where the trend thesis fails, not where you’d “like” them to be. The chart and volatility drive the placement.
- Place the stop below the range low (long) or above the range high (short), adjusted by 1× ATR.
- Never set stops inside obvious noise; require structure violation.
- If the stop would exceed max risk, cut position size; never widen stops to fit size.
- Move the stop to breakeven only after the price makes a clear higher low (long) or lower high (short) beyond the breakout zone.
Trade Management: Trail Winners, Don’t Micromanage
The goal is to harvest the middle of big moves. Let price do the work and trail mechanically.
- Trail with a 2× ATR stop or a rising 20–30 EMA/MA on the daily (choose and stick to one).
- Add only on fresh daily consolidations that break in trend direction; keep total risk under the heat cap.
- Avoid scaling out too early; partials can blunt R multiples. Exit when the trail is hit.
- If momentum stalls (lower high in uptrend), tighten the trail but don’t pre-exit without a rule.
Correlation Control: One Theme, One Bet
Clustering kills diversification. Zaheer treats “themes” (e.g., USD strength, energy rally) as one risk bucket.
- Limit to one core position per theme; a second is allowed at half size if correlation < 0.7.
- If two holdings begin to move tick-for-tick, cut the weaker and keep the leader.
- Avoid stacking multiple trades in pairs that share the same base/quote or sector drivers.
- Recalculate correlation during strong news cycles; correlations tend to spike.
Playbook for Short Selling: Mirror the Longs
The short play is symmetrical: breakouts down from tight structures in confirmed downtrends.
- Weekly and daily both below falling 30–50 SMA with lower lows/lower highs.
- Short the daily close below structure support; stop above the structure plus 1× ATR.
- Trail with 2× ATR or falling 20–30 EMA/MA; add on tight bear flags.
- Be extra selective in equities; short the weakest names/sectors only.
Weekly Workflow: The One-Hour Edge
Consistency comes from a boring, fast routine. One quality hour beats daily chart-staring.
- Weekend: run scans, update relative-strength ranks, refresh the lean watchlist.
- Mark levels, predefine entries/stops/size, and write a brief plan for each candidate.
- Weekdays: 10–15 minutes after the close to check signals and place orders.
- Midweek maintenance: remove laggards, promote fresh leaders, keep the list tight.
Daily Checklist: Process Over Prediction
A short checklist prevents drift and keeps emotions out of the chair.
- Is the weekly trend aligned with the daily? If “no,” skip.
- Is today a clean breakout close (full body) from a tight structure? If “no,” skip.
- Does the planned stop and size keep risk ≤ per-trade cap and portfolio heat ≤ limit? If “no,” skip or resize.
- Are you doubling the theme risk or correlation? If “yes,” cut size or pass.
News & Events: Respect Volatility, Maintain Rules
He doesn’t trade headlines, but he respects their impact. Rules guard the account when volatility surges.
- Avoid entering new positions minutes before major scheduled events on that instrument.
- If already in, keep the trail; do not widen stops for news.
- Post-event, let the daily close confirm before acting; no intraday decisions.
- If slippage occurs, log it and reduce new risk temporarily until conditions normalize.
Journaling & Review: Turn Data Into Discipline
A light but consistent review compounds skill. The journal captures decisions, not just charts.
- Record entry/exit, R multiple, reason code (breakout, add-on, correlation cut).
- Tag mistakes (chasing, early exit, size drift) and set one corrective rule for the next week.
- Review the top 10 winners and top 10 losers quarterly to refine setups and filters.
- If a rule repeatedly saves you money, upgrade it from “guideline” to “hard rule.”
Size Every Trade Small; Protect Capital Before Hunting Trends
Zaheer Anwari treats risk like oxygen—always there, never taken for granted. Before he chases any breakout, he fixes maximum loss per idea so a losing streak can’t knock him off balance. Think in fractions, not percentages of ego: a steady 0.25%–0.5% risk per trade makes results smoother and your head clearer. When the math says the position is too big for the stop, Zaheer shrinks the size instead of “hoping” the market will be kind.
He also caps total portfolio heat, so multiple fresh entries don’t secretly stack risk. Using ATR to translate chart distance into position size, he keeps stops where the thesis fails, not where they feel comfortable. If two positions ride the same theme, Zaheer cuts size to respect correlation and protect the account. The outcome is simple: many small scratches, the occasional solid winner, and a bankroll that’s always ready for the next real trend.
Let Weekly-Daily Alignment Dictate Entries, Not Your Opinions
Zaheer Anwari starts with the weekly chart to find the tide, then checks the daily to time the swim. If the weekly trend is up and price rides a rising moving average with higher highs and lows, he’s interested; if not, he waits. Only when the daily prints structure in the same direction—clean momentum and closes above support—does he consider a trigger. He doesn’t “feel” entries; the two timeframes either agree, or he does nothing.
When the weekly and daily disagree, Zaheer Anwari skips the trade without second-guessing. He knows mixed signals breed chop, slippage, and regret, so he just moves on to a better candidate. This alignment rule also keeps him from overtrading headlines or intraday noise. The result is a calm process: fewer trades, clearer decisions, and a portfolio that flows with strength instead of wrestling with it.
Use ATR To Set Stops, Trail Winners, and Add Methodically
Zaheer Anwari leans on ATR to convert chart noise into precise distances for risk. He places initial stops beyond structure by at least 1× ATR, so random wiggles don’t knock him out. If that stop makes the position too big for his risk cap, he shrinks the size rather than “adjusting” the rules. The goal is simple math: consistent R per trade, not hope.
Once in profit, Zaheer Anwari trails with a multiple of ATR to let price breathe while locking gains step by step. He only adds after a fresh consolidation and breakout, sizing the add-on so combined risk stays within his heat limit. If volatility expands and ATR jumps, he widens the trail accordingly instead of bailing early. When volatility contracts, he tightens the trail and lets the trend do the heavy lifting.
Diversify By Market And Theme; Cap Correlation And Portfolio Heat
Zaheer Anwari spreads risk across FX, equities, and commodities so one bad pocket of the market doesn’t sink the boat. He groups positions by “theme” (like USD strength or energy momentum) and treats each theme as a single risk bucket. If two trades march to the same drumbeat, he cuts size or picks the stronger one. The aim is simple: real diversification, not a crowded cluster that only looks diversified.
Zaheer Anwari also caps portfolio heat, so open risk never snowballs beyond control. He monitors correlation in real terms—pairs sharing the same base/quote, stocks in the same sector, or assets all riding the same macro driver. When correlations spike, he trims exposure and frees room for independent opportunities. By keeping theme overlap tight and total risk contained, he makes drawdowns shallower and winners cleaner, letting true leaders carry the portfolio instead of a noisy herd.
Trade Clean Breakouts After Closes; Avoid Intraday Noise And Chasing
Wait for the daily close to confirm the breakout—if it’s not there at the close, it doesn’t count. A clean, full-body close beyond the level signals real participation; long upper wicks or overlapping candles are warning signs. Set alerts, not expectations, and let the market prove it wants higher prices before you commit.
Zaheer Anwari passes on gap-and-go moves that push risk beyond his limits, no matter how exciting they look. If the breakout runs without him, he doesn’t chase; he resets and hunts the next clean structure. The rule is simple: closed-market evidence first, controlled risk second, everything else is noise.
Zaheer Anwari’s core message is to trade with patience, keep the process simple, and let price action do the heavy lifting. He frames the game as capturing high-reward moves rather than obsessing over win rate, and he urges traders to go where volatility and clean trends actually exist instead of forcing trades in dead markets. Weekend prep drives everything: scan broadly, build a lean watchlist, and arrive each weekday knowing exactly what you’re looking for.
His execution playbook is trend-first and timeframe-stacked: monthly for context, weekly for direction, daily for timing, with breakouts preferred because they confirm momentum in real time. He stands aside during ranges, then commits only on clean closes through structure, managing risk with volatility-aware stops and modest, consistent position sizing. For equities, he wants real volume participation on the initial break, and he applies the same technical framework across FX, stocks, and commodities with small market-specific tweaks.
Finally, Zaheer emphasizes thinking like a diversified operator: don’t marry one instrument, don’t copy other people’s watchlists, and don’t confuse “busy” with “productive.” Use tools to narrow thousands of possibilities to a handful of quality trends, respect correlation, and keep your attention on the instruments actually moving. Above all, choose real learning over hype so your rules get sharper and your decisions get calmer as the account grows.
