What a crap market to trade. Fundamentals are terrible, and everything: stocks/bonds are overvalued, yet trying to short S&P or bonds is usually death by a thousand cuts. Going long S&P is like trying to pick up dimes in front of a bulldozer risking another plunge like August 2015 or January 2016. Dollar is acting like garbage just as everyone said there would be a strong dollar all of last year and pundits still pounding the table long the dollar even though Yellen effectively telling those dollar bulls to "eff off." No growth, yet stocks near all time highs, every dip is being bought until the dip buyers suddenly disappear and then we plunge. SAME OLD SH*T.
as long as market is open, and trader is able to execute his orders - everything is fine trader should not care about fundamentals and valuation, thas investor's approach fuck pundits, fuck yellen too if method generates signals on dollar (does not matter - long or short) - trade it, if not - not who cares about growth is there movement in the price in traded time frames ? - sure it is.... , that's all what we need exactly market does not change, so if you have a problem with the way it acts, it means - you have a problem: something in your approach to trading (if we talking about trading) is very wrong
Are some times more difficult than others...sure but the only major market that can't be traded is a market that doesn't move.
I don't daytrade, and I believe for almost all traders, it is a loser's game. I focus on higher time frames and in order to effectively trade higher time frames (I am talking daily, not 5 minute bars), you need to understand fundamentals. If you think you can make a fortune daytrading off a 1 minute chart, you will be chewed up and spit out by HFT.
This is a very inaccurate assumption. Yes, most do fail at daytrading, but the ones that survive have figured out through experience and research where the optimal entry and exit points are. It's not easy, and the average mind is incapable of adapting. IMO, successful directional daytraders are some of the smartest and dedicated people on the planet.
It seems to me that there's opportunity even if you're not trading off a 1-minute chart. The S&P is up like 300 points since February, no? Playing the blame game and not taking responsibility for your own life will not get you very far either in trading or life.
I am not saying that there are not any successful daytraders. It is just that the odds are much less favorable for non HFT daytraders than for longer term traders who focus on fundamentals, data, sentiment, and investor positioning. I am sure those successful daytraders would make a lot more money if they decided to expand their time frame to catch bigger moves.