I am an intermediate-term trend follower. Some call it position trading. I don’t short-sell because studies show that shorting adds approximately zero to a trend-following system. This is because 1) it runs counter to the overall up-trend of markets, 2) you don't reap dividends, and 3) the borrowing incurs a cost. Also shorting opportunities usually come during bear markets, at which times my focus has to be on avoiding bull traps and sensing for the bottom. If I was shorting as well the extra analysis load would distract me.
Why I don't short
- Thread starter Steve Ladd
- Start date
You are so wrong on a lot of counts and missing half of the trading opportunities out there. I just closed trades on PTON, TWTR, PFE, CPNG 02/04/22. All trades were highly profitable on the short side and I had put options on all of them. Dividends? I will take dividends on the shares I have as icing on the cake. What matters to me are the capital gains. I trade on the long side too and have long positions and employ a trend following system. Warning: Anyone shorting any stock should not borrow shares because the risk to the upside is unlimited if the stock runs up for any reason. Use a put option instead to short that stock.
Last edited:
unless the market is going down?
Though I agree with the idea that extra anlaysis load is distarcting.
What do you do when the market or a stock you own is trending down?
Let my stops execute and wait.
I don't like to short with PUTs because spreads are so much wider (and you have to get timing right). That's even assuming your equity has options.
The problem I have with direct-shorting, is that I hate having to pay for dividends while I wait for the tide to go out that's lifting all boats (including the shit ones).
Absolutely infuriates me when I see a REIT that I'm 98% sure is going to take a major correction, but the dividends are 12%.
Come to think of it, the fact the dividends are that high, is often a clue you SHOULD be shorting it. It's a catch-22 problem.
The problem I have with direct-shorting, is that I hate having to pay for dividends while I wait for the tide to go out that's lifting all boats (including the shit ones).
Absolutely infuriates me when I see a REIT that I'm 98% sure is going to take a major correction, but the dividends are 12%.
Come to think of it, the fact the dividends are that high, is often a clue you SHOULD be shorting it. It's a catch-22 problem.
He's not right or wrong, he said "I" it's his personal reasoning. Most traders would make more money or lose less if they just focused on trading one side of the market.
Sure, if you have proper mindset, have mental capacity to trade both sides and a good system, it makes no sense not to go long and short. However, that's too many assumptions to make that everyone has all that aligned.
A lot of traders get tripped up trying to view long and short, their mind just doesn't process it well. But if they focus on only going long, that can help them.
Sure, if you have proper mindset, have mental capacity to trade both sides and a good system, it makes no sense not to go long and short. However, that's too many assumptions to make that everyone has all that aligned.
A lot of traders get tripped up trying to view long and short, their mind just doesn't process it well. But if they focus on only going long, that can help them.
I think the #1 has merit. The overall market trend is up. So shorting stocks is mostly for short-term opportunity. It is never a good idea to short TSLA, or even GME, AMC etc for extended time period. I see this as trading opportunities.
But I do not agree with #2 and #3. Dividend reflects in stock price. That is textbook rule. Normally there is no or little cost shorting stocks that your brokers have.
But the problem with shorting stocks is that, it is very hard to short equities. True brokers have more stocks to short. But the bank brokers have very few stocks to short with. So your trading strategies can't continue. Over time, I turn into more equity futures and inverse ETFs etc. They are always available.
