Well, when using a demo account, you're not "in" the market when you place a trade. That may sound obvious to everyone, but it wasn't to me at the time. In other words, it only "looks" like you're in the market with the demo account, so there is no action on your "bet". Using the ES demo, I would place an order and there would be no reaction from the market whatsoever. Most of the time the market would continue the way I was hoping and I'd make a profit. Using my live ES account, the exact opposite was true. I'd place a trade, and it would immediately (within 30 - 90 seconds ) go against me, and I'd be stopped out with my 6 tick stop, and, more often than not, THEN it would turn around and go my way. Like I said, this market is skewed so the little guy doesn't have much of a chance.
that's because you placed your order from singapore, which is on the other side of the globe. Things works the opposite way from there.
To improve your trading, perhaps, you could look at long-term (longer period) trend. Also, look at what the futures are doing. Futures sometimes will lead the indexes (which influence the stocks within those indexes).
So you believe that the market knows or cares if you are a participant ? I've got to admit that my expearence is limited only to stocks but I would be very dubious that the big boys are only out to get you. They are either slugging it out with one another or herding all the sheep around in mass in one direction or another to be sheered but the trick is to not be one of the herd. Allow the market to take you into a trade and take you out again.
Makes me think of a guy at work. His catch phrase is "dammit... every single time!". Of course this is in reference to his belief that every time he observes something out of the ordinary happening (like someone beating the crap out of Arca on the bid on a timed cycle) and goes to join it, it stops or goes against him the instant he gets in.
================== Trader-jasonh; You must have a very short term time frame, fine,; cause buying the high of day,selling the low can be profitable to swing/trend traders Also you said ''price is trending up'' ;sure are on 8-12 month time frame. Good time frame. However much of FEB stocks are down down,down , short term trends are down ,down,down, medium trem trends are down ,down,down most 50 day moving averages are down down down. So not only are most stocks on my watchlist are down ,down,down; down , small up ,down ,down ,down . hope you are seeing a pattern here ,hint down, down ,down. Actually favor the long side for oil/gas stocks, not lately, most are down,down down; but shorted a nice move because of moves Down ,Down ,Down. Thats why even on your short time frame you saw so much down , small up, ,down down ,down down up,down ,down,small up. Hope this helps.Short /med term trend may change to up later??? Wisdom is profitable to direct.