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Learn how to be a day trader

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keith cooper
Learn how to be a day trader

Introduction

Day trading has the potential to be a rewarding job (as long as you do it properly). But, it can be difficult for beginners, especially if they aren't properly equipped with a well-thought-out strategy. Even the most experienced day traders might run into problems and lose money. So, what is day trading precisely, and how does it work? And what should be the steps to become

The Fundamentals of Day Trading

The activity of buying and selling a security in a single trading day is known as day trading. While it can happen in any market, the foreign exchange (forex) and stock markets are the most common. The comparatively large number of day traders are well-educated and well-funded.

Day traders are keenly aware of the factors that trigger short-term market fluctuations. Trading on the basis of news is a common strategy. Market psychology and expectations influence scheduled releases such as economic statistics, business profit, and interest rates.

A Day Trader's Characteristics

Professional day traders, or individuals who trade for a living rather than for fun, are usually well-known in the industry. They usually have a thorough understanding of the market as well. The following are some of the requirements for being a successful day trader.

In-depth market knowledge and experience

Those who attempt to day trade without first learning the fundamentals of the market frequently lose money. A day trader should be able to perform technical analysis and understand charts.

Capital sufficiency

Day traders only employ risk funds that they are willing to lose. This protects them from financial disaster, and it also helps them trade without emotion. To profit efficiently from intraday market swings, a considerable amount of capital is frequently required.

Plan of action

A trader requires a competitive advantage over the rest of the market. Swing trading, arbitrage, and trading news are just a few of the methods used by day traders. These tactics are fine-tuned until they consistently provide profits while effectively limiting losses.

Self-discipline

Without discipline, a profitable approach is pointless. Because they fail to create transactions that satisfy their own criteria, many day traders lose a lot of money. "Plan the trade and trade the plan," as they say. Without discipline, success is impossible.

Day traders also like highly liquid equities since they allow them to change their positions without affecting the stock's price. Traders may acquire a buy position if the price of a stock rises. If the price decreases, a trader may elect to short-sell in order to profit from the drop.

Working as a Day Trader

Professional day traders are divided into two groups: those who work alone and those who work for a larger institution. The majority of day traders who make a living from trading work for a huge corporation.

These traders benefit from having a direct line, a trading desk, a significant quantity of capital and leverage, and sophisticated analytical software (among other advantages).

These traders are usually aiming for quick profits from arbitrage chances and news events; these resources enable them to take advantage of these less risky day trades before individual traders react.

Individual traders frequently handle or trade with other people's money. Small number of them have access to a trading desk, but they frequently have close relationships to a brokerage (because of the high commissions they pay) and access to other resources.

The limited scope of these resources, however, prevents them from immediately competing with institutional day traders. Rather, they are compelled to take more risks. Individual traders generally use technical analysis and swing trades, along with some leverage, to profit from such minor price swings in highly liquid stocks.

Having access to a trading desk is a big plus

Traders who work for big institutions or who manage huge sums of money are frequently given this designation. The dealing desk offers these traders immediate order executions, which is especially crucial when there are large price swings.

Various News Sources

The majority of opportunities for day traders come from news, so being the first to know when something noteworthy happens is critical. Access to the Dow Jones Newswire, regular coverage from news organisations, and software that constantly scans news sources for major articles are all common features of a typical trading room.

Conclusion

Despite the fact that day trading has become somewhat of a divisive topic, it can be a practical way to make money. Day traders, both institutional and individual, are critical to the market's efficiency and liquidity.While day trading is still popular among beginner traders, it should be reserved for those who have the necessary skills and resources.

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