I have always found interesting the accuracy at which conventional wisdom is incorrect. All of us have read how terrible it is to trade during the doldrum of the day, but from a risk management standpoint I have found these hours to be the most "controllable" of the day. In as much as one can commit large sizes, use tighter stps etc....any comments? I've come to know a couple of guys that don't even look at the market until 11 a.m., kinda odd but effective, atleast for some. Ross
The biggest moves in the futures markets occur at 8:30AM and 10AM ET historically. Lemme guess you are in CA and wake up at 9AM!
I don't trade during lunch but I would guess that a whole different set of rules would apply. For example i would think that an upper BB touch might be a good sell signal around lunch time but I wouldn't try that at 3pmESt with your money.
i can't imagine that anybody would consider an upper BB touch in and of itself to be a "sell signal" lol at any time, but that's another story. i trade index futures, and generally speaking, the doldrums is a time i tend to use for research. it is not that you cannot trade during these hours, but i have found that many setups ( NOT all) work poorly during this time. Often, there's a bit of locals in the pit playing the guppyline (which can be profitable if u recognize it early enough) etc. it depends on your style of trading, but if u find good profits trading during the doldrums, then obviously you should do it. i do not have a rule personally that says don't do it, but i have certain strict criteria that takes into account the different nature of the doldrums.