Setting stop losses

Discussion in 'Trading' started by nxt7, Apr 17, 2016.

  1. qxr1011

    qxr1011

    what is a stop?

    stop is an exit from the position which exhausted its possibilities

    everybody exit positions like that, sooner or later :)

    some people use stop orders in advance (not a preferred method for a daytrader), others put orders manually as the situation develops
     
    #11     Apr 18, 2016
  2. I never exit a position win lose or draw based on price
    and if I had started out that way I would still be a young man
     
    #12     Apr 18, 2016
  3. qxr1011

    qxr1011

    it does not matter based on what you exit it...

    as long as you exit it - you get stoped by the market
     
    #13     Apr 18, 2016
  4. semantics, in that case there is no difference between a stop and a profit target, and I use neither. You know, some people take profits or losses based on other things than the market. Like a daughters wedding, or a college education, or a retirement home. (or in my case beer and cigarettes)
     
    #14     Apr 18, 2016
  5. qxr1011

    qxr1011

    yes, there is no difference,

    stop is an exit, and what one exited with: profit or loss in each particular case - does not matter...what matters is a result of the series of exits

    sorry

    but that is dilettantism

    i am talking about professional approach
     
    #15     Apr 18, 2016
  6. o
    no actually, that is money management. Over the years I got lucky on nothing more than the mantra "Cut your losses short and let your profits ride" and at times I thought was a very good stop setter (since that's all I cared about, I had very little interest in my profits), but in the end it just became more money management, and stops were based on nothing more than how much to risk? And it came out about the same. And to this day I don't know if it works or if I just got lucky. But I doubt it enough today to no longer play that game with serious money.

    It's amazing how much better things go when you are willing to lose it all.
     
    #16     Apr 18, 2016
  7. magestic

    magestic

    "as the situation develops" so this means that a trader has to remain in front of charts the whole time his trading positions is open .... interesting!!
     
    #17     Apr 19, 2016
  8. Turveyd

    Turveyd

    Only if your intraday/scalper, swing traders ofcourse not.

    Scalpers think we all scalp and swingers (yeah baby) think we all swing.
     
    #18     Apr 19, 2016
  9. IMO, that depends on the instrument and how much you're willing to lose. For me, I can employ either strategy depending on the market.
     
    #19     Apr 19, 2016
  10. qxr1011

    qxr1011

    depending on the method, on the timeframe(s) used, etc etc

    bottom line is: who is watching the market and properly and timely reacts?

    it can be automated method , or it can be the trader, but somebody or something should be there:)
     
    Last edited: Apr 19, 2016
    #20     Apr 19, 2016