I believe an ultimate way to trade is to multi-spread & learn how to take advantage of longer term chart's oscillations by reducing risk to an acceptable minimum. We all know it's possible via hindsight analyses, but only a few of us can actually do this concistently & not having to use huge stops whilst still using high leverage. After all, who would be interested in making $1000 holding position for 2 months?
Just a quick thought while we're on this topic, and this is likely to ignite some heated debate......a system that has the words, "Trend Following" is inherently flawed by virtue of having the word "follow" in it. How can you be a leader by following and how can you win if you aren't a leader?
While you should never follow the trend, you should always strive to identify it. Then you can trade in accordance with your observations, whether it be for, against, or both. As we've seen some people, who have come and gone, do.
Wrong 99% ImPO, because trends warrant longer term profits, countertrend trading makes quick money. The key is not to lead, but to join the tsunami.
Look at some charts and see how well fading oil, grains, the Euro and XLF/XHB would have done over the last 1-2 years.
I thought someone would bring up the slippery stuff. I haven't had a short trade on that beast in nearly 2 mos for obvious reasons. Point duly noted. Steve46 said it best. Trend following, or the lack thereof, is dependent on your time frame. A guy trading a 1 min candle may fade the 5's but at the same time being following the dailies.
It's a little different when the instrument is doing multi/all time lows or high, you got nothing to hold onto and fading it would be pure stupidity unless there is a reversal formation with ample confluential signals backing the call for a great r:r play. Last but not least, we have even spoken about time frames here. NN
You kow what I think is one of the key ingridients for wealth creation? Double tops & double bottoms, both offer small risk & huge profit opportunities. Excuse any typos, I am heavily drunk at the mo