Stop Losses 101

Discussion in 'Trading' started by Dollardogs, Feb 18, 2021.

  1. Dollardogs

    Dollardogs

    Yeah that makes a lot of sense. I think I'm gonna try 1.25% for awhile with my larger moves, and then more like 2% if I'm doing a smaller move on a more volatile stock. But I'll start comparing this to standard deviations and look into using ATR too, been meaning to work on that anyway, thanks for the suggestions!
     
    #21     Feb 19, 2021
  2. Bad_Badness

    Bad_Badness

    I am not sure you do "get it". No offense intended.

    The point is not only do the amounts you set need to be tested for your tactics, the execution of the stop needs to be verified. Not all stops work the same way and the same under different instruments or conditions. This is the type of stuff Lind is referring to.

    Try to use an adjustable trailing stop. How does it work during RTH. How about after hours. On a stock, or a future. Different routing? Native or simulated stops? How about a pegged trailing stop? What you read about and how it actually works are two different things. This is what paper is good for.
     
    #22     Feb 19, 2021
  3. easymon1

    easymon1

    DDog, what did you do with this situation?
    What will you do assuming you met this situation next Wednesday?
     
    #23     Feb 20, 2021
  4. Dollardogs

    Dollardogs

    I didn't make any moves on that particular chart, but the way I'm reading that kind of situation at this point is wait for the 9EMA (purple) to bottom out and cross back over. Once it does, if the first two candles are bullish and the RSI isn't severely overbought and the volume isn't flagging, that would be a buy signal to me. It's been very reliable so far but I know there's a lot going on in those signals I don't grasp yet. One step at a time.
     
    Last edited: Feb 20, 2021
    #24     Feb 20, 2021
  5. SunTrader

    SunTrader

    There is no magic percentage - especially one that would be applicable across all symbols, all timeframes bull and bear markets.
     
    #25     Feb 20, 2021
    KCalhoun and Dollardogs like this.
  6. easymon1

    easymon1

    This chart initiates a move down on the left side of the chart.
    In the luxury of hindsight, ...
     
    #26     Feb 20, 2021
  7. Dollardogs

    Dollardogs

    Not sure I follow what you're hinting at, easymon?
     
    #27     Feb 20, 2021
  8. easymon1

    easymon1

    Do you ever go short?
     
    #28     Feb 20, 2021
  9. Dollardogs

    Dollardogs

    How do I read the candles accurately if you flip the chart upside down? Three white soldiers trending downward on the left lol??
     
    #29     Feb 20, 2021
  10. Dollardogs

    Dollardogs

    I did my very first short last week, pretty brutal debut, shorted NVDA based on what I thought I understood in the technicals when the news broke of the chip shortage. Not exactly a lucky day to try it out. That's one of the 3 clusters from last couple weeks I was referring to earlier. But I'm not averse to trying it again.

    Part of my motivation here in asking about stop losses is not only knowing when to cut my losses but also knowing when to reverse a position from long to short or vice versa.
     
    #30     Feb 20, 2021