I have been trading for a bit more than 4 years, and have been profitable for the last 3 years. This month is so boring. I have never seen a month like this. Spy looks so dead and there is no real volume. Most of the volume generated are program trading. Sometimes I'm begging for like one cent or two and it wouldn't give it to me. Can't complain that much because it seems like I still make over minimum wage. Why don't they just close the market for good if the market is literally moving for only a few cents? All I could say is wow. I really didn't see it all. I've seen some crazy things but now I really see the most boring thing in my trading career.
When the central banks flood the markets with liquidity, we seem to see VIX drop like a rock. Then the usual "routines" follow. The markets make alot of their gains close to open and trade sideways during the RTH. It looks quite a bit like the months following QE2.
I have started trading in the mornings only, after lunch it is dead as a door nail for the most part. Ok with me, it gives me the rest of the day to go to the beach or whatever I want to do....I kind of like not sitting in front of a screen all day. There are always stocks moving but mostly before lunch.
hft does not create any volume or liquidity. it sucks it out of the system and kills it. exchange volume was a bubble that has burst. all they are left with is lots of working prices from algos and hfts that are an illusion of genuine business. the volume will keep falling regardless of any spike in the vix and general volatlity.
Nothing new. These FED induced uptrends have been a constant since 2002. It's a great time to do other things and avoid the costs of impatience. Although in saying that, this has been by far the quietest uptrend of them all.