Learning to trade by scalping?

Discussion in 'Trading' started by Biomech, Mar 7, 2002.

  1. One thing I have discovered is that my profits are inverse to the number of trades on any given day. The more I trade the less I make. Even small commissions add up at the end of the day.
     
    #51     Mar 10, 2002
  2. Don't confuse frequency of trading with scalping... you may only have one scalp trade a day, but you can make good money if you caught it nicely...
     
    #52     Mar 10, 2002
  3. candletrader -

    The definition I was offering involved frequency AND target gain. Higher frequency was generally a byproduct of small target gains.

    Could you offer an example of someone doing one scalp trade in a day and making a lot of money at it? Are you thinking of something like a guy taking a 1/4 point on 20,000 shares and then calling a day? If you were thinking of a guy riding a 1-2+ point move intraday, that wouldn't be a scalp.
     
    #53     Mar 10, 2002
  4. nitro

    nitro

    Name the time and place...

    Not shy here (that's why I don't continually change my handle :), ) especially when debunking crap about scalpers likened to video game players, or members foaming at the mouth about chat rooms.

    I see you are not too shy either:

    nitro
     
    #54     Mar 10, 2002
  5. I was just referring to the notion of being selective while scalping, I suppose... some days may be busy (upwards of 20 scalps) and some days may have few or no scalps...
     
    #55     Mar 10, 2002
  6. GeeTO69

    GeeTO69

    you bet i'll be back to name the time & place ...soon as i get down how the horsey moves.
     
    #56     Mar 10, 2002
  7. GeeTO69

    GeeTO69

    candle, do you use MA 's or MACD or the like when scalping?
     
    #57     Mar 10, 2002
  8. Well a moving average is a good thing initially, but soon you won't need anything except a keen eye and concentration on price levels...
     
    #58     Mar 10, 2002
  9. GeeTO69

    GeeTO69

    candle by that i assume you mean the ebb & flow and the waxing & waning of very short term price cycles as they bounce to & fro of ethereal S/R levels etc?
     
    #59     Mar 10, 2002
  10. nitro

    nitro

    There are days where I don't do many scalps, and there are days where I do 30-40. Average is about 15.

    75%-80% profitable, 15%-20% small losses. Therefore, based on a high watermark of 2000 shares, which is rare for me, but peanuts to scalper friends at Schoenfeld:

    2000 shares * .25c profit = $500 * (75% of 15 = 11) = $5500 - 2000 shares * .25c loss = -$500 * (25% of 15 = 4 ) = -$2000 - commissions ($600 at 30 roundturns at about .01c/per share for me, at Schoenfeld, no commission, but 25% payout!)

    Net gain = $2900/day, on a good day. A bad day is +/- $200. A really bad day is -$4100 (when the 75% and the 25% goes flip.)

    nitro
     
    #60     Mar 10, 2002