AM Briefing — Thursday, August 13, 2026 | ES & MES Futures

5 Lessons From Today's AM Briefing CPI hit the tape and price was still stuck in the upper end of a multi-day range with no sellers in sight. Days like this tempt you to chase a drift higher that you have no business buying. Here is what today was actually teaching. Lesson 1: Upper distribution favors the short When price sits in the upper distribution of a range, weight your search toward shorts. You do not have to be short, but you have no business initiating a fresh long against the odds. Lesson 2: Trade one level, not ten The multi-day POC at 7730 is today's magnet. Pick the single level that matters, mark it, and let price come to you instead of forcing entries in the middle. Lesson 3: A short plan is a strong plan On a CPI day the discipline is subtraction. Fewer levels, one bias, and the patience to let the tape prove itself before you commit. Lesson 4: No sellers is not a buy signal Price can drift higher with no sellers and still be a poor long. When the broad tape is already extended past its highs, chasing strength gives you terrible location. Lesson 5: A missed target keeps its edge A setup stays valid until price invalidates it. Tuesday's short came within seven points of target and reversed, so the same thesis carries straight into today. Watch the briefing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Z0TtFZMoAY Full breakdown: https://microstrader.com/am-briefing-832-upper-distribution-where-shorts-set-up-and-7730-is-the-draw/ Blogger: https://microstrader.blogspot.com/2026/08/am-briefing-832-upper-distribution.html Tomorrow's AM Briefing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yb0yPAMJZA Tomorrow's Live Stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwIBoMXK-yU Full show notes, charts & timeline: https://microstrader.com/am-briefing-832-upper-distribution-where-shorts-set-up-and-7730-is-the-draw/ The Trading Library — 140 free lessons from 1,000+ live sessions: https://microstrader.com/library/ Get today's ES/MES Battle Plan: https://microstrader.com/battleplan/ Watch the live stream — current session plus the AM Briefing and archive playlists: https://academy.microstrader.com/livestream/