History of the Cook Style

“THE COOK STYLE” encompasses over forty years. It is an evolution of experiences that the market had dealt to Mark at various junctures of his trading career. The style can also be interchanged with the word ‘feel’ regarding a market condition. Mark had always been a tape reader, which gave the ‘feel’ of the current market condition. A truly successful trader must acquire a ‘feel’ for the correct conditions for which to trade. Mark found that high volatility provided greater opportunities for maximum profit potential. Therefore, he strove to find these environments. The moniker that Cook had always tried to establish for his account was consistency with a high winning percentage. Mark endeavored for a high batting average but was not a home run hitter. He affectionately called himself a blue-collar trader. The blue-collar mentality is to make a smaller amount of money on a day-to-day basis to pay bills and build confidence.

M.D.C

Jan. 19th, 1954 - Oct. 27th, 2021

A trader for over 40 years, Mark Cook operated from his family's 1870s farmhouse in East Sparta, Ohio. He managed his own accounts and offered an Advisory Service, Mark D. Cook's Trader Advisory, that still gives market timing recommendations on the stock market and bond market that is specifically dedicated to helping people become better traders. His own early trading years were difficult, but as he struggled for success he gained valuable experience and learned what makes and breaks a trader.

Mark developed the Cook Cumulative Tick℠ indicator and gained acclaim by winning the 1992 U.S. Investment Championship with an astounding 563.8% return. The competition was a real money competition where every month traders were required to submit statements to verify trades. At the end of the year the total rate of return was calculated to determine the winner. He has written numerous articles for industry publications including Futures magazine, Financial Trader and Barron’s, and was featured in Forbes magazine (January, 1994) and has been on the cover of Active Trader Magazine.

Mark Cook’s success had garnered him acclaim as the featured S&P trader in the best selling book “Stock Market Wizard” by Jack Schwager. Mark has also been in 12 other books profiling his trading style and methodology. His fame had grown to the extent he had toured China, Singapore and Australia, the only American speaker on those trading tours in 2007 and 2008.

During his later years Mark took numerous traders under his wing to bestow the knowledge the market had given him the hard way onto other aspiring traders. Mark’s goals were to have all his mentoring students become million dollar profitable traders in their careers. His son Ryan and right-hand Jill still carry on his teachings and services.

He always said if you could only remember one thing about his teachings it was that “There is always a way to make money and it is the Trader’s job to find it!”