Vibha Jha’s Million Dollar TQQQ Trading Strategy
Nick Schmidt
Nick Schmidt is a co-founder of TraderLion and Deepvue with over 10 years of market experience. Adopting a “less is more” philosophy, he focuses on weekly charts with an emphasis on price and volume.
December 19, 2024
Vibha Jha: A 2x US Investing Champion
Vibha Jha, a seasoned U.S. Investing Champion, has honed her trading and investing techniques over years of dedicated practice. Vibha didn’t start with a background in trading. Growing up in a conservative family that avoided stock investing, her first encounter with the market came through her brother, a Goldman Sachs engineer, during the tech boom of the late 1990s. A harsh 80% drawdown in her portfolio taught Vibha the importance of market timing and risk management.
Determined to learn, Vibha spent the next decade studying investing principles, absorbing lessons from books like How to Make Money in Stocks by William O’Neil. Her hard work paid off. In the highly competitive Money Manager Division—where participants manage at least $1 million—Vibha secured the 2nd position twice:
- 2021: Achieved a phenomenal 100% return, outperforming many top professionals.
- 2023: Maintained consistency with an impressive 70% return.
These accomplishments cemented Vibha’s reputation as a disciplined and highly skilled trader capable of outperforming in both favorable and choppy markets.
Why TQQQ and IRA Accounts are a Powerful Combination
Vibha Jha actively swing trades TQQQ, a triple-leveraged ETF tracking the NASDAQ 100, to capitalize on market trends. She primarily executes these trades in IRA accounts, which offer unique advantages:
- Tax-Free Compounding: Trades inside an IRA don’t incur capital gains taxes, allowing Vibha to reinvest gains and compound wealth more efficiently.
- Short-Term Swing Opportunities: Leveraged ETFs like TQQQ enable Vibha to achieve outsized returns during market rallies.
“In the IRA, I don’t have to worry about taxes, so I will tend to do more swing trading, especially with TQQQ. I focus on short-term moves to boost returns.” — Vibha Jha
Vibha’s Strategy for Swing Trading TQQQ
Vibha’s TQQQ trading process involves careful market analysis, precise entry points, and disciplined selling into strength.
Entry Signals:
- Buying TQQQ as it retakes key moving averages like the 50-day or 10-week.
- Tracking higher lows to confirm trend reversals.
- Entering when the NASDAQ shows signs of a new rally after a correction.
Selling into Strength:
Vibha uses technical signals to exit positions gradually, locking in gains:
- New 52-week highs combined with declining volume.
- Four to five distribution days in the NASDAQ.
- Rejections at resistance levels after multiple failed attempts.
Vibha also carefully tracks percentage moves from lows to highs, noting that TQQQ often delivers 20-30% swings multiple times a year.
Finding Market Leaders: Fundamental and Technical Criteria
Alongside TQQQ, Vibha focuses on growth stocks that have the potential to double or triple over time. She studied William O’Neil and follows many of the principles of the CANSLIM strategy.
Fundamental Analysis:
- Quarterly earnings and sales growth: Targets 25-35% or higher.
- Annual earnings projections: Ensures robust growth in upcoming quarters.
- Institutional sponsorship: Prioritizes stocks accumulating fund ownership.
Technical Analysis:
- Early-stage bases, such as cup-with-handle or double-bottom patterns.
- Breakouts above the 50-day and 10-week moving averages.
- Relative strength (RS) line entering new highs.
Risk Management Rules for Long-Term Success
Risk management is at the core of Vibha’s trading process:
- Stop-Loss Rules: Exits trades if stocks violate the 10-week or 50-day moving averages.
- Position Sizing: Starts with 10% positions, adding carefully during pullbacks or tight consolidations.
- Avoiding Over-Concentration: Maintains a diversified portfolio of 6-8 core positions.
“Limiting losses is the most important lesson I’ve learned. I position size based on technical stop-losses, which allows me to stay in trades that are working.”
Lessons Learned: Vibha’s Advice for Aspiring Traders
Reflecting on her journey, Vibha shares key lessons for traders looking to improve their process:
- Know Your Style: Whether you’re a swing trader or a position trader, understanding your strengths and weaknesses is critical.
- Start Small: Begin with smaller positions to limit risk while learning.
- Create a Comprehensive Trading Plan: Include rules for buying, selling, position sizing, and risk management.
- Commit to Continuous Learning: Vibha refined her process through years of experience, reading books, and analyzing her mistakes.
“You’ll only learn by doing. Start small, refine your system, and most importantly, stick to your rules.”
Vibha Jha’s impressive results—100% in 2021 and 70% in 2023—showcase the power of a disciplined strategy. Whether it’s swing trading TQQQ in tax-efficient IRAs or holding individual market leaders, Vibha’s process combines sound risk management with consistent execution.
Her story proves that with persistence, clear rules, and continuous learning, it’s possible to achieve outsized returns while managing risk effectively.