there has been a systemic change in the markets and it will last for many many years -------------------- PSYOPS http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychological_operations "What you're now seeing is ... profit and earning ratios are starting to get to the point where buying stocks is a potentially good deal if you've got a long-term perspective on it," ----- Obama
Trading has been good for me in 2009 and so far this year. The market changes but you'll also need to adapt to the changing market conditions; momentum plays, trend following, and swings are still favorable strategies for trading IMO.
-HFT algorithmic systems- ps I see this or variations of this in commodities and have been seeing this for yrs my question is is it just one or two firms doing this with a bunch of others "mimic"ing them ? and is it the same group of "jockeys" who in all markets in all time zones have BOTS coded to "arb" and or buy low / sell hi ?
2009 was rough, although $-wise not too bad since I have a lot more capital after 2008. So far 2010 had a terrible 2 days, it is so dead out there. MohdSalleh why do you think this is going to last for years?
I trade thin stocks a lot...ie 500k-2million shares traded a day. That would explain why I pull my hair out trying to get a fill and pound my desk in frustration while thousands of shares trade at my quoted price while I get nothing.
this would only affect scalpers 99.9999% of which lose money. The govts continuing and random buying is why things are so difficult.
I feel for you. I have been doing this ten years. I have had 2 negative years of less than $20,000 with all but 2 of my up years being over $300,000. I used to love doing this, but after 2009 the market took alot out of me. As I sit here today trading an absolutely crappy market I can't help wonder if I will be here this time next year. From my ten years experience normally when I feel this way the market Gods turn the market back on again. I just feel that this time might be different. Good luck.
I guess if I had your kind of success when things were good, I might be a little less down but I echo your sentiment of 2009 kicking my rear. I hope we are both wrong and 2010 rocks but I think some part of my day will be spent checking on job postings as terrible as working for anyone but myself sounds.