Trading Year in Review: ITPM Lessons from 2025 & What’s Ahead for 2026

A sharp year-end review of 2025 trading performance—lessons learned, key themes like AI and the K-shaped economy, and how ITPM traders can prepare for 2026 with clarity, structure, and edge.

📊 How Did 2025 Really Go?

Let’s kick this off with some honesty—what was your net P&L for 2025?Whether you're celebrating triple-digit returns or dusting yourself off from a tough year, what matters most is what you’ve learned and how you’ll apply it in 2026.

For many, this final stretch of the year felt tricky. And that’s OK. Not every season syncs with your strategy. But what defines a pro—especially in the ITPM mindset—is the ability to review, refine, and reposition.

Markets were messy. Sector dispersion widened. Fast markets showed up without warning. And yet, for those who stuck to their process and managed risk first, 2025 still offered plenty of opportunities to get paid.

🎯 Process Over Performance

No finger-pointing, no wishful thinking—just clear self-assessment. Ask yourself:

• How many 200%+ returns did you generate?

• How many full losses did you sit on?

• Did you actively model your positions?

• Did you scale into winners or let potential fizzle out?

You don’t need 100 great trades. You need five really good ones, managed properly. That’s it.

This isn’t theory—it’s ITPM fundamentals in action: solid research, clear structure, active management, and brutal honesty. If you’re still surprised when a trade moves and you don’t know what to do next, you’re not planning right.

⚠️ Fast Markets & Staying Agile

One of the big lessons this year? Fast markets don’t wait. Whether it was crypto volatility, global macro headlines, or a liquidity squeeze, the best traders acted early—not emotionally, but decisively.

You don’t have to swing big every time. But when the market speeds up, you’ve got to stay in motion:

• Adjust size

• Trim risk

• Book profits

• Protect downside

If you're stuck with frozen hands in volatile conditions, the market will punish you. But if you’ve got an active watchlist and a few commercial ideas ready to go, it’s much easier to adapt mid-cycle.

📉 The K-Shaped Economy Isn't Going Away

2025 was a classic "K" year. The top 10% kept spending, investing, and driving market upside. The bottom 50%? Struggling with inflation, wage stagnation, and declining social mobility.

The truth is, the market doesn’t care—as long as aggregate data looks fine, it shrugs. But that underlying divergence? It’s becoming structurally important. More fragility. More tail risk. More room for surprise.

Traders need to watch both the macro picture and the micro signals. You’re not just trading tickers—you’re trading structural imbalances, government policy reactions, and sentiment swings.

🧠 Big Themes: AI, Data Centers & Complexity

AI was the hot theme of the year, but by now, the easy wins are gone. 2025 forced traders to move beyond “just being in the right sector” and actually start understanding who's positioned to win—and why.

It's not about holding a basket of names and hoping one flies. The market’s matured. So must your research.

You’ve got to ask:

• What's driving earnings upgrades?

• Which companies have the architecture and margins to lead?

• Where’s the edge on valuation, timing, or volatility?

  
  

Specific > General. That’s the shift. Generic trades get generic returns. Focus on conviction and clarity.

🔁 Managing the Curve: Repair, Restructure, Repeat

Here’s where a lot of 2025 performance was made or lost: management of your existing trades.

Winning trades left to drift. Losing trades held too long. Calendars stacked with no plan. Sound familiar?

To sharpen this next year, ask yourself regularly:

• Should I restructure this?

• Can I recycle capital into higher skew trades?

• Have I booked anything, or am I just sitting?

The best traders actively manage their curve, model new price targets, and restructure to optimize returns—not just hold and hope. That’s where real alpha gets unlocked.

🗳️ Political & Social Risk in 2026

As we head into an election year, ignore the political risk at your own peril.

Unemployment, AI-driven layoffs, tax changes, fiscal handouts—these aren’t just background noise. They can change the tone of the entire market.

If layoffs pick up or stimulus slows, the whole house of cards could wobble fast.And if that happens—you don't want to be flat-footed.

Build scenarios. Know your plays. Be ready to execute with conviction if the tone turns. Because when things break, they break fast. And that’s when real opportunity strikes.

🔮 What to Expect (and Prepare for) in 2026

Let’s simplify the key themes heading into the new year:

• Earnings clarity: January will be crucial for reading post-holiday consumer behavior.

• Data center spending: Delays and cost overruns are surfacing—watch this space.

• Rotation trades: Beaten-down retail or value names may offer easier upside than overcrowded AI leaders.

• Rate cut impact: Cuts may no longer boost the "real" economy as they once did.

• Volatility spikes: Prepare for narrative shifts—especially in political headlines.

You don’t need to know what will happen. But you do need to know what you’ll do if it happens.

🧭 Final Word: Turn Reflection into Execution

2025 was a crucible. A year where speed, structure, and adaptability defined performance.

Now’s the time to reflect—and reload.

• Review your year with honesty.

• Define what worked—and what didn’t.

• Build a sharper, cleaner process heading into January.

Don’t chase. Don’t drift. Just size right, trade with intention, and manage risk like it matters—because it does.

🔍 Thinking About ITPM in 2026?

If you’ve found value in the ITPM process, or you're considering diving deeper into your trading journey—make sure you check out my personal ITPM reviews.

I’ve seen firsthand how refining my process through the ITPM structure changed my mindset, my execution, and ultimately, my results.

🎁 Want to start 2026 strong? I’ve got access to an exclusive ITPM discount for those who are serious about levelling up.

🙋‍♂️ FAQs

Q: How many trades should I aim for in 2026?

A: Quality over quantity. Around 60–70 setups per year. If you manage five exceptionally well, you’ll be hard-pressed not to be up 50%+.

Q: How do I manage risk better during earnings season?

A: Stay proactive. Book into strength, apply protective structures, and don’t overexpose to randomness.

Q: Are themes like AI still valid?

A: Yes—but surface-level exposure won’t cut it. You’ve got to dig deeper and separate hype from fundamentals.

Q: What’s one thing to fix next year?

A: Trade management. Booking, rebuilding, modelling—it’s what separates pros from punters.