Is daytrading easier now than a year ago?

Dustin · Aug 5, 2003

The market was much more volatile last summer which gave most of us traders more opportunity.

candletrader · Aug 5, 2003

Quote from Dustin:

The market was much more volatile last summer which gave most of us traders more opportunity.

Last summer alone gave me about half of my profits for the year... reminded me of the good old days...

dbphoenix · Aug 5, 2003

There are two questions being addressed here: is daytrading easier than it was a year ago and is the market easier than it was a year ago. For me, the market is much more difficult than it was a year ago, but the trading has become much easier because the tougher environment has forced an iron discipline which I did not have last summer. Therefore, I'm making more money now than I was then.

gotta_trade · Aug 5, 2003

Quote from candletrader:

Last summer alone gave me about half of my profits for the year... reminded me of the good old days...

Same here, last July was amazing.

Dustin · Aug 5, 2003

Quote from gotta_trade:

Same here, last July was amazing.

Ditto...

July/Aug were half of my year's P&L.

GreenDog · Aug 5, 2003

Quote from Scientist:

That is an entirely relative assumption, to say the least.

With increasing price comes declining price leverage.

~The Scientist

... your "scientific method" needs work.

... and you want to write a book?!?!?!

Scientist · Aug 5, 2003

Quote from GreenDog:

... your "scientific method" needs work.

... and you want to write a book?!?!?!

Please elaborate!

Only in case there's actually any substance to your argument, of course...

~Scientist

vulture · Aug 5, 2003

I think last summer had more "residual momentum" on an intra-day basis. In other words, a break of minor/major S/R had more follow thru and traded "cleaner". I also think the selling, up until july 24th, was more "natural selling",which combined with program trading created this momentum follow thru...

EricP · Aug 5, 2003

Quote from Dustin:

The market was much more volatile last summer which gave most of us traders more opportunity.

I agree 100%. Easier last summer due to the higher level of volatility.

-EricP

no_pm_please · Aug 5, 2003

For my style (buying bottoms/selling tops with volume divergence) this year has been easier. I got stopped out in more trends last year. I've been able to use tighter stops this year also. So I trade more contracts to keep the total risk per-trade the same. Some year I'll learn how to trade trends in the emini. For now, I love divergence trading.