i usually have 4-8 open positions at a time. my timeframe is rarely intraday and is usually from days to months. other than the positions i have, i don't really watch any stocks just for the sake of watching them. i do follow the major indexes, however.
I watch 10 stocks ID based on an EOD pattern. This is done on a higher time frame and automated so I can go to the restroom <heh> and not have to watch every tick. I am constantly scanning specific criteria stocks in the more jumpy indexes every hour or so. SOX, BTK, XBD And lastly, I watch about 5 futures markets for opportunites and scalp (glued to) my main trading vehicle (future market). I am always looking for Opening orders in the same 5 stocks every day across different sectors, but if Im not filled in first 5-10 minutes, I eject. You want fewer trades but better set ups. Someone mentioned just watching prices in one particular stock. That is very effective technique from which you can develop a "feel" but requires incredible immersion. If you close your eyes and all you see are blinking red and green numbers, congratulations, you have the committment. Or you should be committed.
Nyah... don't have to worry about the latter until it's the stocks that are watching you. It's even worse when they're talking to each other about you... but I wasn't supposed to say anything about that... now they're going to be mad at me... but I had to tell you... I saw QLGC talking to FMKT today... I didn't even know they knew each other! And they were both lookingat me kind of sideways, y'know? I hate it when they're doing that, like they think they know what you're thinking about doing... Which I'm sorry I don't believe! Though just in case, I stopped putting the trendlines on, cuz I think the stocks can feel them on the way through, and that's when things reverse... but only when I've entered the other way... so that's why no more trendlines! Um... uh... never mind...
Lol - lol - lol... It is a jug that contains almonds - that's about all I have time for while the markets are open, except for my famous .30c soup... nitro