Saturday, 15 November 2014

Why Trading is Like a Triathlon

“A triathlon is a multiple-stage competition involving the completion of three, continuous, and sequential endurance disciplines. While many variations of the sport exist, triathlon, in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances.” - Wikipedia

Trading is a three-dimensional competition that requires the management of three continuous, simultaneous, endurance disciplines. While a variety of trading methodologies and systems exist, profitable trading involves management of the trader’s psychology, attention to risk control, and dedication to trading a robust system over an extended time period.

Many traders make the mistake of thinking that simply knowing the right methodology will guarantee their success. In actuality, it is a three event marathon consisting of more than just entries; psychology and risk management have much more influence over longterm success. Entries have no meaning without the right exits, and no system is a winning system without the discipline to follow it.

Here are the three events in the trading race:

A trader’s psychology has to be one of confidence in order to trade it with discipline. Confidence comes from doing homework, back testing, chart studies, and experience. A trader has to trade position sizes that turn down the volume on their emotions. They must have the mental discipline to follow the plan that they carefully crafted when the market was closed, when the market is open. When a trader drifts into greed, fear, and ego, they will likely wreck on the rocks of reality. A successful trader needs the psychology of an entrepreneur, cultivating the fortitude to get through the small losses so they can make it to the big wins.

A trader’s risk management will determine their short term and long term success. Trade too big and the trader will give back all past profits with just a few losing trades. Trading huge position sizes insures that a trader will eventually give their whole trading account away to disciplined risk managers. If risk is not managed, no trading method will lead to profitability because some string of losses will eventually be too much to bear.

A trader’s methodology should be robust enough to have an edge over the markets and other traders. High probability entries and set ups based on historical price action is a good place to start. Planned exits to lock in profitable trades when right, and knowing where to get out if proven wrong, is critical to success. A good trading methodology is trading with a plan that defines entries, exits, and position sizing. Implementing a strong methodology increases the likelihood that a trader’s overall wins will exceed their overall losses within the time frame for expected profitability.

If you want to win the trading race, you must train for all three events.
Source: http://newtraderu.com/

Quote for the day

“Most investors have a remarkable and deeply fascinating ability to blame others for their mistakes whilst giving themselves credit for all the correct investment decisions.” -  Niels Jensen

Friday, 14 November 2014

The World’s Wealth in 2014


Source:http://www.ritholtz.com/

14-Nov-2014 CSE Trade Summary



Quote for the day

“Speculation is a hard and trying business, and a speculator must be on the job all the time or he'll soon have no job to be on.” - Reminiscences of a Stock Operator

Thursday, 13 November 2014

13-Nov-2014 CSE Trade Summary


Following Stocks Reached New High / Low on 13/11/2014

Crossings - 13/11/2014 & Top 10 Contributors to Change ASPI


http://www.cse.lk/cmt/upload_cse_report_file/daily_report_603_13-11-2014.pdf

Top 10 Gainer / Loser / Turnover / Volume for the day

Top 10 Foreign Activity for the Day

Quote for the day

“The trading experience is so intense that there is a natural tendency to want to avoid thinking about it once the day is over. I am that way when things are working. But, when they are not, it spurs me to want to think about what I'm doing and how I might do better. When things go bad, traders shouldn't stick their heads in the sand and just hope it gets better.” - Richard Dennis