Day Trading (Volume, MA, Medium Liquid Stocks, Price Movement Manipulation)
-- Please read my earlier reply(s) on day trading. In day trading you need the following to excel:
1. Avoid looking at too many things. You will have very less reaction time and attention span. More on this in the next few points.
2. Have a tool which can execute orders fast. Don't have some thing which takes you to another page for confirmation and then executes the order. Those are good for End of day trading.
3. Bargain for low commissions on day trading. You need low commissions because U will be trading a lot as U will get lot more signals in day trading.
4. Determine before hand (before sesson starts) what stocks you will day trade. Use volume, beta (volatility) of the stocks as the criteria as the selection. You need high volume, medium price, medium to high beta stocks. Further, determine what direction these stocks have chance of trading. U do that looking at EOD data on a daily chart using EMAs. I talked about it in previous emails. Also, look at the charts I am attaching. U will have an idea. Basically, what I am saying is, U need to decide whether to go long or short before hand for a stock.
5. Restrict to only 2 stocks for watch list. If you don't see any movement for couple of hours, then start looking at another 2 stocks. Not at any point of time you will be looking at more than 2 stocks. Try to restrict looking at 10 stocks in general. That way, Ur mind will get tuned with their price movements. After a while, U will know them more and your actions will get aligned with their movements.
6. Avoid looking at 1 minute chart in a day chart. Its close to imposible to make decisions on 1 minute chart because of noise.
7. Now, coming to what indicators you will be using.
a. Look at 5 day chart. I don't know whether you have the tool which shows 5 days of data. In this, use 1 minute time frame. I know U are confused at this point based on what I said on point 6. But, here we are looking at 5 day chart. Read next how this makes a difference.
b. U will be using EMA(8) min and EMA(50) min. Since we are using 5 day chart instead of 1 day chart, this effects the EMA calculation. They will take out the noise.
c. U will be using MACD with line and Histogram (atleast histogram). Again, hopefully Ur tool has these.
8. Methodology (I tried to avoid revealing this info. in earlier replies. I was tempted though). My friend will kill me if he knows I am revealing this info. But, its ok. I am not doing it any more.
Hope, you will make money of it. Hey, atleast can you keep this a secret? (Ya right!!!
).
a. As in EOD trading, we need enter and exit points that make you money. But, unline EOD trading, you have less time to make decisions and there is lot of volatility. So, you need clarity.
b. We will be using crossovers for this. When 8 min EMA crosses above 50 min EMA, you buy. Similarly, if 8 min EMA crosses down 50 min EMA, you will sell short. When the ema crosses over, wait for pull back (pull up in case of short). Patience!Patience! Patience! before triggering. It is better to avoid then do it wrong. Crossover is Ur ultimate test.
c. If you want to be 80 % correct, then U will confirm the crossover using 5 min timeframe on 5 day chart. Remember, it will take some time for the crossover to appear on 5 minute chart after it appears on 1 minute chart. What this may mean is that you will enter at higher (lower for short) point than you would do using 1 minute chart. But, it will avoid false crossovers. So, you might make less money, but U will make consistently. 1 minute chart can be used to help you get ready for upcoming crossover.
d. MACD histogram is also helpfull for confirmation. Lines above the 0 bar means bullish. Below bearish (I know U know). So, when 8 crosses above 50, we are going from bear to bull. See whether it is happening in MACD for confirmation.
e. So, I have talked above about entry. How about exit. As in my EOD trading, U need adopt immediate 50% profit booking methodology. When U enter, U immediatly decide at what price the reverse crossover is going to happen (approximatly). This is your stop point.
f. If the stock moves in your direction, U should take 50% profits and move the stop where U entered for break even. Without this U will not survive. Because, in a day, the stocks show lot of noise. What goes up in the morning, comes down in the evening. U will be left withnothing on your plate, inspite of your hardword. U need income to continue for next day, just like people working in office do. Final exit will come when the reverse crossover happens.
9. In order to make money in day trading, U have to be a perfect person. U should not have fear or greed (applies to EOD too). You have to follow methodology to the core. No exceptions. Believe me, this is going to be hard. U will get greedy once U start seeing the money flowing.
10. Never trade when U are tired. Day trading will suck lot of your energy. If you are tired, take a break. Further, if you have lost a lot of money (% of capital), don't trade for couple of weeks.
Price Manipulation
-- This is a given thing. We can restrict it by picking stocks that have good average volume, medium price and no gaps in price movement. If you want to know price manipulation, read The stock operator book, biography of Jesse Livermore.