Jump to content

Welcome to the new Traders Laboratory! Please bear with us as we finish the migration over the next few days. If you find any issues, want to leave feedback, get in touch with us, or offer suggestions please post to the Support forum here.

  • Welcome Guests

    Welcome. You are currently viewing the forum as a guest which does not give you access to all the great features at Traders Laboratory such as interacting with members, access to all forums, downloading attachments, and eligibility to win free giveaways. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free. Create a FREE Traders Laboratory account here.

Firm Biz

What Do You Trade, and Why?

Recommended Posts

What do you trade, and what are the factors that led to that decision?

 

I trade stocks, my reasoning is (admittedly) stupid. Stocks are all I know.

 

I'm looking forward to hearing why some people trade stocks, choose not to, why they choose to trade other instruments. I think this discussion could provide a lot of insight on the characteristics of these instruments.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
  Firm Biz said:
What do you trade, and what are the factors that led to that decision?

 

 

Well, I trade for living. I trade to pay my bills.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

stocks - as thats where I started, there are always many different opportunities, different stocks, and possibilities, they get bigger percentage moves, and so you can trade it as a portfolio reducing each individual instrument exposure.

FX - because its liquid, and makes no sense

Equity futures - as they fit in with the stocks

occasionally commodity futures.

 

I do it to make money as thats my business.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
  emg said:
Well, I trade for living. I trade to pay my bills.

 

Emg, what I meant by that was why did you choose to trade whatever it is that you trade, opposed to trading something else.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Firm Biz

 

I trade currencies, mostly the mighty Euro. Why, like you it's all I've ever done. I saw an interview in the early 80s with Jim Rogers talking about how the currencies were going to be, "the markets of the future." Of course I had no idea what he was talking about (enter FX), but I started looking into it and never looked back :crap:

 

I trade them for several reasons

 

Time, I can trade different time segments within a day, depending on other obligations life may throw at me (e.g. Asian, Europe or US sessions).

 

Style / Method, Most times (not always) I can find liquidity sufficient to trade any/all sessions. Each session holds it's own characteristics and nuances (IMO) and offers traders an opportunity to use every tool in the box (e.g. position, swing or scalp trading).

 

Analysis I believe the currency markets respond well to technical and price action trading. This gives a trader a clue as to what tool to pull out of the box, whether it's a simple support & resistance trade, a Fibonacci retrace or extension move, or maybe prices are ranging around and bouncing off deviations of some mean average.

 

I hope this is along the lines of what you're searching for. :)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

We don't care so much about which symbol as we care about trading where the action is. We use TradeStation's Radar Screen and our own custom scans to find out of sequence relative trade volumes and unusually high relative local price volatilities in all instruments.

 

Whether there is news or not – at any point in time, among the thousands of financial instruments traded around the world there is a small subset that exhibits these unusually high relative trade volumes and/or local price volatilities.

 

Through a process we call the serial normalization of market performance data we produce relative values of local trade volumes and local price volatilities so that the performance of symbols can be compared one to the other.

 

A symbol trading at 40% of what is normal volume for that issue may be trading a much higher absolute volume than an issue that is trading at 200% of normal volume and yet not offer the opportunity of the symbol trading at the lower absolute volume but higher relative volume.

 

Below are the results of scanning and sorting 400 stocks for both relative volume and price volatility as well as a sort for the most popular futures and forex pairs. These scans were taken at the close 3 days ago.

 

Information = Equity

 

Trade What's Hot and Not Trade What's Not.

 

tpt436.jpg

 

tpt435.jpg

 

tpt437.jpg

 

tpt438.jpg

 

cheers

 

UrmaBlume

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
  Firm Biz said:
What do you trade, and what are the factors that led to that decision?

 

I trade stocks, my reasoning is (admittedly) stupid. Stocks are all I know.

 

I'm looking forward to hearing why some people trade stocks, choose not to, why they choose to trade other instruments. I think this discussion could provide a lot of insight on the characteristics of these instruments.

 

Hi Firm Biz,

 

I must say I am 100% spot forex. Reasons: you cant beat the leverage, I can make 20 pips a day scalping, and that is all i need. I can do it in under two hours, (sometimes I get it in minutes). No need to trade another market for me.

 

Also, by scalping, I do not need to watch the market all day, my system provides several entries in a two hour period, so I can trade what i see, then shut down and spend time with my family (that's what its all about, right?)

 

...good trades,

Sam

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks all. I know it will be said to trade what you are most comfortable with and what suits your personality - but looking at these instruments objectively:

 

Do any of them have a clear advantage? Are any of them a clear disadvantage? (i.e. "stock volatility can be met with futures volatility so the opportunity is the same, however with futures you are able to execute on that opportunity with much less commission cost" - this is a wild guess and probably not true... just an example of the type of advantage/disadvantages that are probably out there)

 

I want to trade stocks, it's what I know -- however, I don't want to be fooling around with trying to succeed in a game that is much more difficult if there are easier arenas out there.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
  Firm Biz said:
Thanks all. I know it will be said to trade what you are most comfortable with and what suits your personality - but looking at these instruments objectively:

 

Do any of them have a clear advantage? Are any of them a clear disadvantage? (i.e. "stock volatility can be met with futures volatility so the opportunity is the same, however with futures you are able to execute on that opportunity with much less commission cost" - this is a wild guess and probably not true... just an example of the type of advantage/disadvantages that are probably out there)

 

I want to trade stocks, it's what I know -- however, I don't want to be fooling around with trying to succeed in a game that is much more difficult if there are easier arenas out there.

 

Biz,

 

I stick to 2-3 markets. I will trade only one at a time. I think 2 or 3 is more than enough. Usually if I start off a day trading oil, I stick to it for the rest of the day. Lately I have been trading oil almost exclusively but I watch oil, gold, and now the grains. I used to trade ES, but have changed the way I trade and I need volatility and ES simply does not have the volatility I need for the period of time I want to trade.

 

I believe that you need to get to know how each instrument trades before you commit to trading it.

 

 

MM

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

It depends on the week, sometimes certain markets just "feel" better, and other times they really ARE better. Like the volatility in crude right now - "new lows new lows!"

 

Currencies are an interesting instrument if you're looking for a challenge. What makes them so unique to me is that they really reflect the global world we live in. No matter what time of day it is there's a currency that's trading.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

A lot interests me in the markets these days.

 

Gold has caught much of my attention.

 

I also like to trade stocks with pair options, as I can trade freely in a market neutral environment.

 

I trade stocks via pair options almost daily, while looking for the weekly opportunity in Gold returns

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I trade stocks because, like others here, stocks are all I know. I gradually "migrated" from "buy and hold" big board stocks to swing trading pennies and pink sheets; higher risk, higher reward, but they allow me to live the lifestyle I want.

 

I have a general interest in options, but never made time to study. As for forex, all I know is that currencies are traded in "pips." Before I knew this, I thought "pips" were the backing vocals to Gladys Knight (I'm showing my age and forex "ignorance," I think).

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I have traded currencies for 30 years, then bonds and only in the last few years stocks. I did start with commodities over 35 years ago but got wiped out early done it while I was working and vary rarely go back to them.

I guess that trading after this length of time is a way of life, Having traded during my working life it naturally followed into retirement. I have never got rich doing it but touch wood, it has provided a regular income supplement.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I trade stocks, usually by reading newsletters and following trends. I'm starting to learn how to trade options, just selling puts and covered calls. I trade to take ownership and control of my investments instead of handing it over to an 'advisor'. I want to take the plunge one day and trade full-time but i'm still studying charting and technical analysis ... thats my goal - to be able to make trading my full-time gig. :)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


  • Topics

  • Posts

    • Thx for reminding us... I don't bang that drum often enough anymore Another part for consideration is who that money initially went to...
    • TDUP ThredUp stock, watch for a top of range breakout above 2.94 at https://stockconsultant.com/?TDUP
    • How long does it take to receive HFM's withdrawal via Skrill? less than 24H?
    • My wife Robin just wanted some groceries.   Simple enough.   She parked the car for fifteen minutes, and returned to find a huge scratch on the side.   Someone keyed her car.   To be clear, this isn’t just any car.   It’s a Cybertruck—Elon Musk's stainless-steel spaceship on wheels. She bought it back in 2021, before Musk became everyone's favorite villain or savior.   Someone saw it parked in a grocery lot and felt compelled to carve their hatred directly into the metal.   That's what happens when you stand out.   Nobody keys a beige minivan.   When you're polarizing, you're impossible to ignore. But the irony is: the more attention something has, the harder it is to find the truth about it.   What’s Elon Musk really thinking? What are his plans? What will happen with DOGE? Is he deserving of all of this adoration and hate? Hard to say.   Ideas work the same way.   Take tariffs, for example.   Tariffs have become the Cybertrucks of economic policy. People either love them or hate them. Even if they don’t understand what they are and how they work. (Most don’t.)   That’s why, in my latest podcast (link below), I wanted to explore the “in-between” truth about tariffs.   And like Cybertrucks, I guess my thoughts on tariffs are polarizing.   Greg Gutfield mentioned me on Fox News. Harvard professors hate me now. (I wonder if they also key Cybertrucks?)   But before I show you what I think about tariffs… I have to mention something.   We’re Headed to Austin, Texas This weekend, my team and I are headed to Austin. By now, you should probably know why.   Yes, SXSW is happening. But my team and I are doing something I think is even better.   We’re putting on a FREE event on “Tech’s Turning Point.”   AI, quantum, biotech, crypto, and more—it’s all on the table.   Just now, we posted a special webpage with the agenda.   Click here to check it out and add it to your calendar.   The Truth About Tariffs People love to panic about tariffs causing inflation.   They wave around the ghost of the Smoot-Hawley Tariff from the Great Depression like it’s Exhibit A proving tariffs equal economic collapse.   But let me pop this myth:   Tariffs don’t cause inflation. And no, I'm not crazy (despite what angry professors from Harvard or Stanford might tweet at me).   Here's the deal.   Inflation isn’t when just a couple of things become pricier. It’s when your entire shopping basket—eggs, shirts, Netflix subscriptions, bananas, everything—starts costing more because your money’s worth less.   Inflation means your dollars aren’t stretching as far as they used to.   Take the 1800s.   For nearly a century, 97% of America’s revenue came from tariffs. Income tax? Didn’t exist. And guess what inflation was? Basically zero. Maybe 1% a year.   The economy was booming, and tariffs funded nearly everything. So, why do people suddenly think tariffs cause inflation today?   Tariffs are taxes on imports, yes, but prices are set by supply and demand—not tariffs.   Let me give you a simple example.   Imagine fancy potato chips from Canada cost $10, and a 20% tariff pushes that to $12. Everyone panics—prices rose! Inflation!   Nope.   If I only have $100 to spend and the price of my favorite chips goes up, I either stop buying chips or I buy, say, fewer newspapers.   If everyone stops buying newspapers because they’re overspending on chips, newspapers lower their prices or go out of business.   Overall spending stays the same, and inflation doesn’t budge.   Three quick scenarios:   We buy pricier chips, but fewer other things: Inflation unchanged. Manufacturers shift to the U.S. to avoid tariffs: Inflation unchanged (and more jobs here). We stop buying fancy chips: Prices drop again. Inflation? Still unchanged. The only thing that actually causes inflation is printing money.   Between 2020 and 2022 alone, 40% of all money ever created in history appeared overnight.   That’s why inflation shot up afterward—not because of tariffs.   Back to tariffs today.   Still No Inflation Unlike the infamous Smoot-Hawley blanket tariff (imagine Oprah handing out tariffs: "You get a tariff, and you get a tariff!"), today's tariffs are strategic.   Trump slapped tariffs on chips from Taiwan because we shouldn’t rely on a single foreign supplier for vital tech components—especially if that supplier might get invaded.   Now Taiwan Semiconductor is investing $100 billion in American manufacturing.   Strategic win, no inflation.   Then there’s Canada and Mexico—our friendly neighbors with weirdly huge tariffs on things like milk and butter (299% tariff on butter—really, Canada?).   Trump’s not blanketing everything with tariffs; he’s pressuring trade partners to lower theirs.   If they do, everybody wins. If they don’t, well, then we have a strategic trade chess game—but still no inflation.   In short, tariffs are about strategy, security, and fairness—not inflation.   Yes, blanket tariffs from the Great Depression era were dumb. Obviously. Today's targeted tariffs? Smart.   Listen to the whole podcast to hear why I think this.   And by the way, if you see a Cybertruck, don’t key it. Robin doesn’t care about your politics; she just likes her weird truck.   Maybe read a good book, relax, and leave cars alone.   (And yes, nobody keys Volkswagens, even though they were basically created by Hitler. Strange world we live in.) Source: https://altucherconfidential.com/posts/the-truth-about-tariffs-busting-the-inflation-myth    Profits from free accurate cryptos signals: https://www.predictmag.com/       
    • No, not if you are comparing apples to apples. What we call “poor” is obviously a pretty high bar but if you’re talking about like a total homeless shambling skexie in like San Fran then, no. The U.S.A. in not particularly kind to you. It is not an abuse so much as it is a sad relatively minor consequence of our optimism and industriousness.   What you consider rich changes with circumstances obviously. If you are genuinely poor in the U.S.A., you experience a quirky hodgepodge of unhelpful and/or abstract extreme lavishnesses while also being alienated from your social support network. It’s about the same as being a refugee. For a fraction of the ‘kindness’ available to you in non bio-available form, you could have simply stayed closer to your people and been MUCH better off.   It’s just a quirk of how we run the place and our values; we are more worried about interfering with people’s liberty and natural inclination to do for themselves than we are about no bums left behind. It is a slightly hurtful position and we know it; we are just scared to death of socialism cancer and we’re willing to put our money where our mouth is.   So, if you’re a bum; you got 5G, the ER will spend like $1,000,000 on you over a hangnail but then kick you out as soon as you’re “stabilized”, the logistics are surpremely efficient, you have total unchecked freedom of speech, real-estate, motels, and jobs are all natural healthy markets in perfect competition, you got compulsory three ‘R’’s, your military owns the sky, sea, space, night, information-space, and has the best hairdos, you can fill out paper and get all the stuff up to and including a Ph.D. Pretty much everything a very generous, eager, flawless go-getter with five minutes to spare would think you might need.   It’s worse. Our whole society is competitive and we do NOT value or make any kumbaya exception. The last kumbaya types we had werr the Shakers and they literally went extinct. Pueblo peoples are still around but they kind of don’t count since they were here before us. So basically, if you’re poor in the U.S.A., you are automatically a loser and a deadbeat too. You will be treated as such by anybody not specifically either paid to deal with you or shysters selling bejesus, Amway, and drugs. Plus, it ain’t safe out there. Not everybody uses muhfreedoms to lift their truck, people be thugging and bums are very vulnerable here. The history of a large mobile workforce means nobody has a village to go home to. Source: https://askdaddy.quora.com/Are-the-poor-people-in-the-United-States-the-richest-poor-people-in-the-world-6   Profits from free accurate cryptos signals: https://www.predictmag.com/ 
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.