Day Trading
Day traders earn their title by focusing solely on intraday price movements and capitalizing on the volatility that occurs therein. These small market fluctuations are related to current supply and demand levels rather than fundamental market conditions.
Tools Used
Day traders use a variety of short-term trading strategies. Some trade the news (using economic calendars and indexes) and change their focus based on global economic events. Others may be scalpers who trade the same asset day over day and analyze intraday price movements using technical analysis (such as fast and slow moving averages). If they understand the general direction in which the market is trending on a given day, they can follow the trend and exit all their positions before the market closes.
Pros and Cons
When you analyze price movements over such a short time frame, more false signals are bound to appear due to the small sample size and limited context. Spotting a false signal and confirming the validity of your analysis can be tricky—especially when time is of the essence. For these reasons, day trading typically requires more experience and familiarity with the market. To be successful, day traders must also practice effective money management and be ready to respond swiftly if price moves against them.
Day traders earn their title by focusing solely on intraday price movements and capitalizing on the volatility that occurs therein. These small market fluctuations are related to current supply and demand levels rather than fundamental market conditions.
Tools Used
Day traders use a variety of short-term trading strategies. Some trade the news (using economic calendars and indexes) and change their focus based on global economic events. Others may be scalpers who trade the same asset day over day and analyze intraday price movements using technical analysis (such as fast and slow moving averages). If they understand the general direction in which the market is trending on a given day, they can follow the trend and exit all their positions before the market closes.
Pros and Cons
When you analyze price movements over such a short time frame, more false signals are bound to appear due to the small sample size and limited context. Spotting a false signal and confirming the validity of your analysis can be tricky—especially when time is of the essence. For these reasons, day trading typically requires more experience and familiarity with the market. To be successful, day traders must also practice effective money management and be ready to respond swiftly if price moves against them.