Daytrading
FAQ
How
much profit can I make day trading?
How
long will it take me to learn how to day trade?
Is
my day trading capital guaranteed from loss?
Do
you recommend stocks, futures, or currencies?
Should
I quit my day job or business to day trade?
Can
I day trade if I live outside of the United States?
Do
I have to pay taxes in day trading?
I
heard that day trading currencies has more tax benefits than day trading
stocks. Is this true?
Can
I open a trading account from any country?
How
long should I do paper trading before day trading with real money?
What
is the minimum account you recommend to start day trading?
Should
I day trade with all my money?
Can
I day trade using an Apple Macintosh?
How
much will it cost for me to learn day trading?
Should
I trade from home or from a trading room?
What
type of computer do I need for day trading?
Is
day trading with a laptop better than with a desktop?
Do
I need more than one monitor?
Do
I need DSL or Cable Modem service?
What
is the best day trading strategy?
Where
can I open a day trading account?
Can
day trading be treated as a career?
Is
there a "best time of the day to day trade?"
How
much capital do I need to day trade?
Should
I paper trade on paper?
What
can a day trading software cost me?
Is
it a good idea use trading systems or daytrading entry/exit point
generated by trading systems/ websites?
I
am ready to start day trading. What is the first step I should take?
I
have invested in stocks in the past. Will day trading be easier for
me to learn?
Should
I pay thousands of dollars for a day trading course?
How
can I predict what prices are going to do while day trading?
Can
I day trade only a few hours a day?
Why
all the fuss about having a day trading strategy?
What
is the best day trading software?
Is
day trading online safe?
Any
good day trading books out there?
Do
you have any good day trading tips?
What
is the best way to learn day trading?
Where
can I find any day trading secrets?
Are
there day trading techniques that are easy to use and effective?
Is
day trading for beginners?
Where
can I find a good day trading company?
Should
I use news to day trade?
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Is there a "best time of the day to day trade?"
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Even though there is not "a best time" of the day to trade, there are certain hours that
provide greater opportunities for a day trader. In the stock market in the United States,
these hours are somewhat limited. The stock market officially opens at 9:30 AM EST and
closes at 4:00 PM EST. The prime time day trading hours for stocks are between 10:00
AM and 12:00 PM and between 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM. When the stock market opens at
9:30 AM, there is a lot of volatility during the first half hour of trading and it become
difficult to determine the general direction the stocks are moving. At around 10 AM,
when the dust begins to settle, there is usually a better indication of the morning trend of
stocks in general. Between 12 PM and 2 PM EST, many traders and other market
participants are out to lunch and trading slows down quite a bit. Consequently, it is
usually a good idea not to initiate new stock trades during this time. Around 2 PM EST,
trading activity starts picking up again and builds up until the close. During the last half
hour of "official" trading, the market might get chaotic again, so (in general) it is not a
good idea to get into new trades during this time. Even though some people will argue
that it is possible to day trade in the pre-market and after-hours trading sessions, the
lower liquidity makes it ill advised to attempt to day trade. Since foreign exchange is a much bigger market than stocks and trading goes on 24
hours-a-day, there are many more opportunities throughout the day to day trade.
Depending on what time zone a day trader lives in, he may choose one or various ranges
of hours during the day to execute his trades. Since during the hours when the European
financial markets are open (around 2AM EST to 11 AM EST) there is a lot of currency
trading activity, this can be a perfect time to day trade. Day traders in the United States
who are in Pacific Time can take advantage of these trading hours (as well as Europeans
and traders from other countries in a similar time zone). The U.S. financial markets start
around 8AM EST and the stock market officially closes at 4 PM EST. Consequently,
during these times the forex market is very liquid. In general, from about 8 AM EST to
about 2 PM day trading can also be successfully carried out. Finally, at around 7PM EST
the Asian markets open and activity on the USD/JPY currency pair begins to pick up.
This can be a great opportunity for a person who has a day job to give day trading a try.
In general, the only times that new day trading positions shouldn't be initiated in the
currency market are between 2 PM to 6 PM EST. The reason for this is that the US
market is about to close (so forex trading activity slows down) and no major financial
market in the world is open .
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