Investing Information

5 Day Trading Tips for Success


1. How to Treat Gap Openings

A gap up or gap down open is an emotional move, and it often will reverse course and turn in to "trap open". Gaps that are less than 4 points on the SP Future tend to get filled in the same day, especially Tuesday through Thursday. Turns will occur within 20 to 40 minutes after the open. A trader must be on the lookout for a reversal as soon as early momentum is lost.

A gap into a good support /resistance zone is almost always a good "fade" - with stops no more than 1 point on other side of the support /resistance zone.
(A "fade" is simply entering a position opposite of the direction of the gap. If the market gapped down, a "fade" would be entering a long position (buying) in to the selloff.)

2. When the Market Moves Against You, When Do You Exit a Trade?

The way I trade, I exit as quickly as possible. There's no sense in waiting around for your "stop-loss" to get triggered when the perceived edge is gone. I like to stay in control of my trades, and if the market doesn't do as anticipated, I don't wait for my stop to get hit.
When there is no longer a high probability situation, exit and take a second look.

3. When Are The Best Times of the Day to be Trading?

For me, the best times of the day for trading are the first hour and the last 2 hours.
Here's an old rule of thumb (and this used to work like clockwork in the "old days", and although it has diminished a bit, it still happens):
"The Minor Time of Day"-
If the Market opens higher, then there tends to be a pullback within the first 20 to 40 minutes. If the pullback is weak, there will probably be a continuation of rally into the early afternoon. But, if the pullback is sharp, then you've likely seen the high for the day and you'll want to be selling the bounces.
"Major Time of Day"-
Around the 2:20pm to 2:40pm time frame, we'll often see moves reverse or gather steam in that timeframe. People that have been holding positions all day long become a bit "antsy" - they have to do something with them before the Market closes for the day. When people holding losing positions into late into the day see the time until the close is near, that can cause the market to make some sharp turns in the last 90 minutes. The program gang also likes to get active that time of day.

4. How Can Anyone Trade a Choppy Market?

I take a number of scalps in choppy markets. I time entries with Tick extremes, especially when price pops into previous high areas of congestion, or other intraday support and resistance. Moving averages are not good during choppy days.(Scalps : small profit, "hit and run" type of trades)

5. How Do You Measure Pullbacks

In a trend move, I like to see shallow pullbacks to a steeply sloped moving average on one of the 3 time frames I follow. (more time frames, the better) Pullbacks to symmetry in a persistent trend are useful when present.

Example: Rally, dip 2.00 points - Another run up, then a dip of 2.25 points - A another push higher, then a dip 1.75 points. Note continued dips of 1.75-2.25 points repeatedly hold. A pattern has developed, and you want to be buying those shallow pullbacks. This works great used in conjunction with a steep slope of the 20 ema on the 5 minutes charts, or slightly bigger picture, the 60 ema on the 5 minute chart.

Mike Reed author of TradeStalker's RBI Trader's Updates. Mike has been trading the Market for 23 years. When he got his start as a trader, Mike was plotting prices on paper tape as the internet had not yet been "born" as we know it today. Years of experience have really given him a feel for the Market action. Mike's support and resistance numbers have been published on the internet since 1996. He has a wide readership that includes day traders, floor traders, locals and hedge fund managers. Mike's nightly support and resistance zones are specific and incredibly accurate. He offers an unlimited free trial of his nightly TradeStalker RBI Trader's Updates. http://www.TradeStalker.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Dow Corning investing $4 million to update its laboratories
MLive.com, MI - 10 hours ago
By Eric English Dow Corning Corp. is spending $4 million to update some of its older laboratories at its Bay County corporate headquarters campus. ...


Yahoo

Pimco Names El-Erian CEO Of the Bond-Investing Giant
Wall Street Journal - 23 hours ago
... returning from running Harvard University's endowment, Mohamed El-Erian was named on Thursday as chief executive of Pacific Investment Management Co. ...
PIMCO Co-CEO Stepping Down IndexUniverse.com
all 62 news articles


Investing your cash without a stamp of approval
Scotsman, United Kingdom - 4 hours ago
By Jeff Salway MORE people are investing in stamps in a bid to beat the economic downturn and hedge against inflation, but philately experts have warned ...


Japan's Nomura mulls investing in Lehman -paper
Reuters - 3 minutes ago
Nomura has a pool of funds exceeding 200 billion yen ($1.86 billion) for investing in or acquiring US and European financial institutions, the brokerage's ...


China Daily

Lieberman Still Investing In Democratic Party
NPR - Sep 4, 2008
Morning Edition, September 4, 2008 ยท He may be campaigning for Republican John McCain. He may have been close to becoming McCain's running mate. But Sen. ...
Video: Former Dem Lieberman Speaks at RNC AssociatedPress
all 1,048 news articles


Investing in the future
Tidewater News, VA - 4 hours ago
By Randy Forbes As children across the Commonwealth headed back to school this week, I thought of my own four children and how it seems as if it were only ...


One Essential Stock Screen
Motley Fool - 9 hours ago
Like an eccentric playboy tossing money in the air, Tom threw out some of the best and most actionable investing advice that I had ever heard. ...
Do You Still Own This Garbage? Motley Fool
all 2 news articles


Andreesen on Chrome, Obama, and Investing in Start-ups
Conde Nast Portfolio, NY - 12 hours ago
Andreesen explained that he stays busy with Ning, his non-profit work on behalf of Stanford Hospital and Room to Read, and investing/advising start-ups. ...


Monday Morning

ROBERT POWELL For the long haul
MarketWatch - 9 hours ago
Most experts do not advise investing more than half of your assets in non-US stocks. But they do suggest investing a portion in such stocks. ...
Oxford Club bet on Buffett: A 'no-brainer' BloggingStocks
all 3 news articles


5 More Munger Quotes to Improve Your Investing
Motley Fool - Sep 4, 2008
"If you took [Berkshire's] top fifteen [investing] decisions out, we'd have a pretty average record. It wasn't hyperactivity, but a hell of a lot of ...
Make This Your Best Investing Year Yet Motley Fool
No One Likes Your Portfolio Motley Fool
all 3 news articles

Investing - Google News

home | site map
© 2006