Well to give him his due, he says he is operating a swing strategy, so therefore it could be considered early to take profits at 11260. However even 20% of the trade at that point may have been wiser, thats assuming he aint got a 1 quid SB on.
The Dow is trading around 11350, for a swing strategy based around holding a position for a week or so, and creating at the outset a stop loss of 80 pips displays naivety. Intra day, the Dow can move well over 80 pips and in fact moved 200 the other day, granted this is quite a rare move. However this demonstrates that a stop of 80 pips for what is allegedly a swing system is lacking experience, thought and rational.
Here are a couple of quotes.
"I have now moved my "Stop Loss" to 11,340 (Entry point) for the last trade. This trade can no longer be called a Loss trade if it was to hit that level."
You have subsequently lifted this stop. Why ? What logical reason was there to adjust the stop so early into a swing trade, and why lift it if you have no intention of upholding the essential activity it is performing.
PLAN THE TRADE. TRADE THE PLAN !
"I am holding the position as I feel there is still further to fall in my opinion. I will aim to take maximum profits."
Considering this is a swing system... you are considering holding it longer, less than one day after opening it.. So you should be, it goes without saying and does not need any clarification.
Previously you mentioned that your system was based on pure logic and probability, you then went on to say that in "your opinion" the market had more selling to do, now is this not a clash of philosophy ? If you are going to trade pure math, logic and probability, there is no room for opinion sir, and it is these opinions that have infected your judgement when adjusting your stop and which you subsequently do not enforce when it is breached. So you are now trading on a whim, a whim that suggests the initial logical reason for maintaining the trade is still valid, however this negates the logic for adjusting the stop.
Clearly the biggest issue is the size of the stop, 80 pips... for a swing trade on the DOW !
For a swing trade on the DOW, increase your stop 3 fold and lower your stake proportionately. The reason for moving the stop to prevent a loss situation is not completely crazy, but doing that in tandem without taking partial profit and then lifting it when the new stop is breached has no basis for long term success.