Mastering Short-Term Trading
Short-term trading can be very lucrative but it can also be risky. A short-term trade can last for as little as a few minutes to as long as several days. To succeed in this strategy as a trader, you must understand the risks and rewards of each trade. You must not only know how to spot good short-term opportunities but also how to protect yourself.
Several basic concepts must be understood and mastered for successful short-term trading. Understanding the fundamentals can mean the difference between a loss and a profitable trade. In this article, we’ll examine the basics of spotting good short-term trades and how to profit from them.
Recognizing Potential Candidates
Recognizing the “right” trade will mean that you know the difference between a good potential situation and ones to avoid. Too often, investors get caught up in the moment and believe that, if they watch the evening news and read the financial pages, they will be on top of what’s happening in the markets. The truth is, by the time we hear about it, the markets are already reacting. So, some basic steps must be followed to find the right trades at the right times.
Step 1: Watch the Moving Averages
A moving average is the average price of a stock over a specific period of time. The most common time frames are 15, 20, 30, 50, 100, and 200 days. The overall idea is to show whether a stock is trending upward or downward. Generally, a good candidate will have a moving average that is sloping upward. If you are looking for a good stock to short, you generally want to find one with a moving average that is flattening out or declining.
Step 2: Understand Overall Cycles or Patterns
Generally, the markets trade-in cycles, which makes it important to watch the calendar at particular times. From 1950 to 2021, most of the gains in the S&P 500 have come in the November to April time frame, while during the May to October period, the averages have been relatively static.
As a trader, cycles can be used to your advantage to determine good times to enter into long or short positions.
Step 3: Get a Sense of Market Trends
If the trend is negative, you might consider shorting and do very little buying. If the trend is positive, you may want to consider buying with very little shorting. When the overall market trend is against you, the odds of having a successful trade drop.
Following these basic steps will give you an understanding of how and when to spot the right potential trades.