Does this happen to you?

O

omegapoint

Frequently, too often to be chance, as soon as I get into a stock it'll tank -- vertical -- and a disproportiate amt of the time as soon as I sell a stock it'll climb ... right after I sell it. I know I should sell sooner or buy back in but I don't, like the amatuer that I am. Thats not what I'm asking. What I'm really asking -- and I know this sounds out of left field but, in your experience, is it possible a brokerage can target someones account -- somehow--, recognizing they're a rank amateur with a sizable account?
I've called support on other issues and no doubt it was obvious I was possible meat, I'm meat to everyone here for that matter ...everyone is everyone elses meat but I regress, back to the question. Thanks in advance.
 
you decide to buy , you decide to sell - I have made bad decisions in the past as well. Use stop losses and limits when you buy. It'll help you out.
 
It often seems like the market is targeting you personally... running your stop and then taking off in the direction you were looking for, etc. I don't think broker manipulation is the cause. More likely it's due to:

1) Inexperienced players behave in predictable ways with stop placement etc. and the bigger players can take advantage of it

2) You are more likely to remember these types of trades than the time that you were spot on, or just made a bad call, etc.
 
Its more than just bad decisions. I'm talking about stocks that didn't display that sort of tanking for months untill I bought in.
That and the tight stops daytraders use don't apply to the way I trade. It seems, from charts, that as much upside can be missed as downside can be evaded by tight stops. Same question ...has anyone ever heard of accounts being targeted?
 
If you are daytrading, it sounds like you are "running with the heard." You might be waiting too long for a confirmation. For example, a stock may have turned around and be heading up, but by the time you think its safe to get in, you really should be shorting the pullback. When you buy it, and it pulls back, it bleeds you just enough to where you cant take it anymore and sell --when thats where you should have been buying.
 
I don't think it was my broker, but who knows???

Here's my story

Trading SBUX in 1999, 2000, or 2001 (don't remember) I was short maybe 2000 shares (had a small account and that was all I could buy/sell) going into lunch time. I was also sitting with the position for some time. Maybe an hour or more at this point. I was quite new to daytrading back then.

I watched as the stock moved up slowly 100 shares by 100 shares. I couldn't believe that "they" would be after my shares, but it was just so strange to watch. I was curious as to whether it was possible to move the market just to "get me" so I left my stoploss order in. SBUX was a 1 million+ shares/day stock and was sufficiently liquid for trading.

I thought for sure the move would bring out sellers, but none came and it WAS NOT an incredibly fast move at all. Just step by step. Like it was just me and him. (I didn't think to watch and see who it was on Level 2 at the time)

Immediately after my stop was hit the prices dropped to where they had been before and chopped around lower for the rest of the day. The chart showed one crazy bar out of nowhere and that was me. (if you were there....let me know)

I will never forget this.

Judge for yourself what it means.

P.S. I didn't hold positions like you described, at the time. I was flat each afternoon.

I would be interested in anyone's opinion or similiar story.
 
These are interesting observations and not unusual at all. I personally don't subscribe to 'the accounts being targeted' theory.
I believe most of the problems that you folks have been experiencing is due to the trading environment in stocks these days. The bulk of trading is program driven which is the root cause of all these problems.
 
Some people have a single experience that they can relate to my question here. Thing is, this happens to me all the time. It is plausible of course that inexperienced traders behave in predictable ways that experienced traders can take advantage of, I can buy that. But, that can be true along with my feeling that I'm being targeted at the same time ...in concert. Ninja, I really can't believe any advice you might give since, aspiring to be a ninja your whole game is stealth and that sends your credibility out the window, since ...I don't know you -- as the shadow of outright paranoia looms over any toehold in sanity I have left. I'm waiting for some O'Reilly wanna be to scold me I'm losing at this game and just looking for a scapegoat ...please.
If its the machines then I"m Sarah Conner and they've become self aware and are coming after me ( ...its a joke okay (don't you hate it when someone fixes on your joke as if it wasn't a joke)).
I dunno, people who dismiss conspiracy are the best candidates for its effectiveness -- theres that thing about the wildest story being believeable because ...noone could make that up. Its 6:50 am here and I'm beginning to stream consciousness ...thanks for your indulgence -- the question persists.
 
Of course it has! Its happened to everyone at some point. The difference is you learn from your mistakes, instead of seeking out a conspiracy.

When you are a newbie, you are expected to be on the wrong side, and badly. The real question is, will you learn or will you continue to place the same kinds of trades?

Quote from omegapoint:

Frequently, too often to be chance, as soon as I get into a stock it'll tank -- vertical -- and a disproportiate amt of the time as soon as I sell a stock it'll climb ... right after I sell it.
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