I don't know for sure if it's just been dumb luck, but I've experienced a 31% return on my total account since last Monday. I'm ecstatic, obviously, but is this normal for a good week? I still don't know what kind of returns people have been experiencing during "good" weeks. I'm going long/short on individual stocks (from 1 to 5 positions per day), holding from close one day until close of the next day, and margining up to 30% max.
That sucks. Most people have been getting around 437% the last five days or so, but that's for an account size of 50 bucks or so.
Mind to share you strategy? Otherwise... what was the real point of starting this thread? Some sort of tease? --MIKE
rolegario, it's great! continue to do whatever you were doing, but make sure not to lose 50% of it by the end of the month. For me, it's the end of month that counts. Cheers!!
It all depends in what context you've been trading. The main factors would probably be size of capital and amount of leverage. ie. if you're trading with $1,000 capital, and putting $2,000 on daty trades using 200% margin...then making $310 is a nice return but not all that impressive given how you've been trading. ie. if you're trading with $250,000, and have been buying baskets of stocks with max 2-5% capital per trade....then 31% is phenomenal and your stock picking skills must have been exquisite.
Sorry dude, it's probably luck. To gain 31% in 8 days means you are taking serious risks. Let me guess... You aren't diversified. (only a few sectors or only a few stocks)... You are new to investing (you have had your money in stocks for less than 6 months)... Right? If so, then you probably don't know how to invest properly, and that means it's just luck. Unless you REALLY fluked out and found a great strategy so fast.
Congrats on your 31%... but bear in mind the following: 1) Returns are proportional to % risk on account... 2) Size and volatility of drawdowns are proportional to % risk on account... You experienced high returns... if you wish to avoid large and/or volatile drawdowns, seriously understand the intricasies of your risk parameters... drawdowns didn't count for much during the unidirectional bull market, since returns always overcompensated (resulting in relatively ignorant new traders being in the right place at the right time - including myself - making some spectacular capital gains on modest amounts of capital)... however, we are now in a more realistic environment, where only the disciplined and risk-conscious will win...