Despite the dire caveats by the Securities and Exchange Commission cautioning investors against the controversial yet potentially lucrative world of day trading, people attempt to try and attain day trading skills, and a day trading stock tip is literally worth it's weight in either gold, or dross! Below is some information on learning trading techniques, the risk involved, and tips for becoming a proficient trader.
Just what is day trading and how do individuals acquire day trading skill? Day trading is the system of rapidly buying and selling stock throughout the day in order profit from the marginal fluctuations in the market for that specific day. In the ideal world, day trading strategies permit investors to secure profits from the tiny increases in the market.
Day traders watch a specific set of indicators when determining whether a stock is suited for day trading. First, the stock should have high liquidity. This means that the stock in question has a large number of buyers and sellers. The liquidity allows day traders to rapidly acquire and then sell stock. Liquidity is determined by the volume of transactions on the market, the number of outstanding shares, the total number of shareholders and the number of market makers. Almost all stocks on the NYSE and NASDAQ have a high degree of liquidity.
A day trader also watches volume individually, in addition to using it as criteria for liquidity. To be eligible for day trading, a stock needs to trade at least 500,000 shares each day. Stocks with 500,000 trades a day or more enable the day trader to acquire or sell a large amount of stock without greatly altering the price of the stock. Volatility is another factor in evaluating a stock for day trading. The word refers to the actual or expected price movement of the stock. This movement is up or down over a period of time. Day traders study the pattern and volatility of stocks over an individual day. Stocks that change price many times over one trading day are ideal candidates for day trading. A fluctuation of at least $2.00 per day is recommended.
Finally, a day trader evaluates the price transparency of stock. This term refers to the ability to gather information on the order flow of a stock. Also called market depth, price transparency helps the day trader calculate just how much money there is to be made on a certain stock. The NASDAQ II quote system offers data on all bids. Day traders who are able to access the NASDAQ level II quote screens can evaluate the performance of a stock and watch its swing in price.
While these trading practices are entirely legal and entirely ethical, they are highly risky. Day traders generally buy on borrowed money with the hope that they will realize higher profits through their acquisitions and sales. People who are determined to be "pattern day traders" by the NASDAQ and NYSE must have at least $25,000 in their accounts and can only trade in margin accounts. Margin accounts are brokerage accounts in which the broker lends the investor cash to purchase securities. If the value of the stock drops a great deal, the investor is required to deposit more cash to cover the margin or sell the stock. The SEC warns against day trading and acting on a day trading stock tip, and has taken many steps to inform people of the corresponding risks.
The first few months, a huge majority of day traders suffer tremendous financial losses and only a few make it through to become profit-making day traders. For this reason, day traders should only invest funds that they can afford to lose. They should never invest money set aside for necessities like living expenses or second mortgages.
Keep in mind that day traders do not own stocks for longer than a few minutes at most. Stocks are never kept overnight because of extreme dangers of prices changing to the detriment of the trader. Day traders do not invest, instead, they speculate on the movement in price of a stock throughout the day.
There are lots of websites whose sole purpose is to profit off those who are trying to find a day trading stock tip. These websites assure rapid results and offer hot tips to their members for a fee. The sources are most often paid to make these recommendations and are best avoided. Seek the advice of a proven professional, and take plenty of time to learn trading strategies for longer term success. Remember, there is no free money, and day trading skill is often paid for with enormous stress and cataclysmic losses.
For a wealth of free info on understanding stock trading, check out the articles at Stock Trading Information Resource, or make sure to read The Wall Street Journal - my #1 pick for stock information. Ron King is a web developer; visit his website Authoring Articles.
Copyright 2008 Ron King. This article may be reprinted if the resource box is left intact and the links live.
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