There will always be trends. If there's significant news on a stock or if there is big buying or selling of a stock, then the stock will move irregardless of program buying/selling. I have been trading a form of arbitrage of NYSE stocks and have been profiting from its inefficiencies, but this game is going to eventually end soon and so am just thinking longer term by trying to identify a stock or sector's underlying movements and seeing if I can go with its direction. Who cares if it's fewer trends - the important thing is to catch whatever you can. If it means trading less, so be it. It doesn't even matter whether it's Nasdaq or NYSE - they will trend if there is a reason for it to trend. I think that is my only option under these circumstances.
ja, even on news, especially reports most of the stocks dont trend. this is far, far different from not that long ago [2003/04]. all am sayin' is that there's a pattern and i wouldnt be surprised if algos get good enough to control also news stocks, well they already do since i gotta get mad to find the one stock that trends 'till session end on any given day.
No trends? Maybe you're not looking at the right sectors? Friday was a slow day but homebuilders (CTX, RYL) started trending up 11 am. So did retailers like KSS and JCP. What are you talking about?
put things into perspective, stocks are arbed to death; of course there are trends but ranges have deteriorated. on report large caps trended from open to close 'till last yr now no more. of course some days are good and u get a urray of stocks movin' but it's not like it was a couple of yrs ago, now u gotta be much more selective and surgical in your choices. [ am talkin' about real trends from the bell to the close].
I'm not going to cry about the deterioration of ranges and trends. My point is that one can still make money trading these movements even if these movements are smaller than previous years. Of course one has to be always selective in one's choices and trades - that has never changed. Regarding "real" trends from bell to close - those may be few and far between. But I certainly do not find anything wrong with money that one can make trading stocks that start trending 1 or 2 hours after market open to the close. Do you? That's all I can say about this topic so I'll just let it rest.