The simple definition of a day trade is a trade that is opened and closed on the same day. Day traders have no positions when they log off at the end of the day and don’t have to worry about overnight moves.

Some day traders hold positions for very short periods of time – minutes or even seconds. Others will hold a trade until it either hits a profit target or a stop loss level. And, others hold their position until just before the market closes if it is ‘in the money.’

The time constraints of day trading mean you only buy or sell an instrument if you are fairly certain it will do what you think it will do before the end of the day. This means supply and demand are the most important characteristics of a market.

Fundamental analysis is of limited value to day traders, and most use some form of technical analysis or ‘tape reading.’

Day traders have to know their chosen markets intimately and understand who the different players in the market are, how they are positioned, and how they are likely to react to price movements.

Markets for Day Trading

Day trading is only viable in liquid markets that are relatively cheap to trade. That means low commission rates and tight spreads. The availability of margined accounts or leveraged instruments like futures is also necessary. These are the popular markets for day traders:

Stocks

If you are going to day trade stocks, half the battle is deciding which stocks to trade. The average stock simply doesn’t move enough each day to warrant trading intraday. Those who day trade stocks tend to specialize in one of three groups of stocks.

Firstly, there are stocks that are very liquid and reasonably volatile on most days. These are stocks of companies like Amazon and Tesla that are traded by thousands of day traders every day, which adds to the volatility and liquidity.

Secondly, some traders specialize in ‘in play’ stocks. A stock is in play when it is the subject of speculation and news, or during the days either side of its earnings release.

A stock may be in play for a few days after a news release, or for months at a time if it is the target of a takeover or the subject of an ongoing story.

The third group, penny stocks, wouldn’t usually qualify as day trading candidates due to their low liquidity. However, penny stocks can experience explosive intraday moves when the conditions are right. Day trading penny stocks is very risky, but some traders do seem to get it right.

Equity indices


Index futures have been a staple market for day traders since they were introduced in the 1970s. The most popular indexes are the S&P500, FTSE 100, and DAX 30. Futures markets typically have longer trading days, with the S&P500 trading nearly 24 hours a day.

Headline indexes are a barometer for the overall market and used to hedge equity positions and speculate on the next move by the largest funds and institutions in the world. Future markets often move before any other market when major events occur.

Trading index future means you need to know exactly what is driving the market on a given day and be alert to anything new hitting the market.

Forex

The global currency market is the largest in the world, which means it’s also the most liquid. Day trading forex is more popular outside the US due to the fact that it tightly regulated in America and quite loosely regulated elsewhere.

Some day traders do trade forex successfully, but a lot of forex traders prefer slightly longer timeframes. The big difference between forex and other markets is that forex markets are open around the clock.

However, different currencies are more active at different times of the day, so day traders need to decide on their preferred currency pairs and the time of day they will trade.

Forex trading requires a good understanding of both charts and economics – in particular, interest rates and what affects them.


Cryptocurrencies (Also known as Digital Assets)

The newest day trading market is the cryptocurrency market. Because the market is still in its infancy, liquidity and volatility are forever changing, and the digital currencies that are suitable for day trading are forever changing.

This means anyone trading cryptocurrencies must remain up to date with the crypto market, the most liquid coins and what drives their price and volume.

Commodities

Some day traders specialize in trading commodities – usually oil, gas, gold, and silver. These markets are also day traded by traders who trade other futures markets.

Trading commodities on an intraday basis requires a lot of domain knowledge. You have to understand the charts, the industries and all the different players in the market. Each market has a lot of nuances that affect the way the underlying market trades, as well as its futures market.

Day Trading Strategies

Most successful day traders develop their own unique method of analyzing and trading their chosen market. To develop their method they typically adopt one or more of the strategies listed below. In many cases, these strategies overlap one another – and in almost all cases charts are the most important tool.

Trend following

Trend following is a very successful approach when the daily range is wide enough or if it is expanding during periods of volatility. Trend followers use trendlines, moving averages, or similar indicators to identify new trends. A trend-following strategy is typically very systematic and based on a set of rules.

Momentum

Momentum traders identify patterns that signify increasing momentum in the direction of a trend. They hold positions for as long as the momentum continues, often using a trailing stop loss to lock in profits.

Chart patterns

Some of the classic chart patterns that traders use on daily and weekly chart patterns can also be used to trade intraday. Chart patterns have specific price targets and positions are closed when the target is hit. Candlestick patterns are also commonly used by day traders, especially in the forex market.

A lot of day traders also favor Elliott Wave chart patterns – though this approach takes some time to learn.

Mean reversion and range trading

When a market trades in a clearly defined trading range, or in a trend channel, the trading range can be traded. This means shorting the market when the price is at the top of the range and buying when it’s at the bottom of the range.

Reversals

Reversals can occur within a trading range or when a trend changes direction. Traders use patterns and indicators to identify potential reversals and profit targets. Under the right market conditions, reversals can be very profitable for short term traders.

Scalping

Scalpers identify momentary imbalances in supply and demand to catch quick price changes before taking profits and moving on to the next trade. Scalpers sometimes execute 20 or more trades in a day.

News trading

Prices often move substantially after economic or company news is released. Corporate news is often released before or after the trading session, so opportunities for stock trades are limited. However, the economic news is scheduled, and forex and index traders can trade ahead of, or after, data is released.

How to get started

To get started you should begin learning about markets and strategies. Read as much as you can about different markets and start following them on a day-to-day basis. At the same time, you can start reading more about the different trading strategies outlined above.

You should begin to get an idea of the markets that interest you, and trading methods that make sense to you. This should put you in a position to start looking for a broker where you can open a demo account and begin paper trading and eventually begin putting real capital to work.