How To Build An Intraday Trading System

20 years ago, before markets became completely computerised, traders worked off the floor and markets were slower and less efficient. In those days, intraday trading systems could take advantage of those inefficiencies to find a profitable edge. It wasn't easy but it was a lot easier than it is now.

Today, markets are controlled by computers and algorithms. HFT (high frequency trading) contributes to at least 40% of market transactions in some markets and even more in some other markets. Non-HFT algorithms make up a big percentage of the rest.

And the dominant players in HFT and algorithmic trading are big hedge funds and institutions; companies like Goldman Sachs that have huge pools of wealth and resources. Competing against these financial giants for the most part is foolhardy.

Teeing off with Norman

It's like Howard Bandy once said: "trading against Goldman Sachs is like going for a round of golf with Greg Norman. You're never going to win so there's no point in trying." Or something like that.

Consider also, that there are very few examples of anyone even being able to beat the market on an intraday timeframe. And even fewer who have been able to do so with a system.

Still not convinced?

So it's clear that intraday trading is not for the faint of heart and I should know as I spent almost a year trying to time the markets every day in a professional setting.

Even for professionals, intraday trading is supremely difficult and expensive. When I worked as a day trader, we may have had direct access to the market but we also had to pay £150 a day in desk fees, which very quickly mounts up unless you are trading very large size.

But what if you want to ignore these warnings and you're still determined to build an intraday trading system?

I can only wish you the best of luck and suggest the following pointers that come from my own trading experience:

- Avoid forex, there appear to be more inefficiencies in individual stocks and futures.

- Think outside the box. For example, look into social trading, look at the smaller markets that the banks aren't as interested in.

- You can override the system. Longer term systems may not benefit from overriding but there are studies to suggest that humans and machines perform better when working in unison. In fact, in the short-term, discretionary trading usually does better than system trading.

- Conquer the psychological side so as to avoid gambling and emotional stress.

- Understand how to analyse your system so you know when it's stopped working.

Master some of those rules and you'll have a much better chance of making money from an intraday trading system.

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Trader's Guide to Become Professional at Trading

Principles are known to be moral guidelines in doing better and being better no matter what aspect of life it maybe, principles as a mother, as a teacher, a writer, an artist or whatever your daily pursuits are. We can consider it as our personalized manual for living in harmony and abundance. And, being an elite trader is no different. As traders, we need to establish principles that enable us to competently move in the trading business considering different kinds of market vehicles like equities, Forex, options, commodities and market futures. Here are 8 principles gathered through experiences and multiple readings that you'll need to be ahead of the game:

1. Trading needs mental preparation

Being mentally prepared is tricky. Before starting the day, a good whiff of how you want your day to go is helpful. Envision yourself trailing along with the market trends, liquidating daily profits and coping with losses at ease. Data collection, pattern recognition, risk management plan and noting reward opportunities through detailed research, are the essentials.

2. Price Discounts Everything

As a theory this will help you understand the essence of technical analysis. This assumes that the market price "factors in" all fundamental information of a market's value. Not just that but elements like politics, market behavior, the weather, or other external factors can and will be affecting the market price. Only by putting this theory to principle can you be superior in the trading system with the use of the gathered information on what makes markets move and the drivers of stock price performance.

3. Trade trending markets

To stay in an advantageous point in the Forex and stock market, it is favorable to only trade trending markets. This is the simplest way to identify strategy imperfections in order to come up with a close to foolproof trading plan. Following what has been rising steadily or falling can give you total confidence that you are investing your money in a trending market with an expectation that the trend will continue. Trading trends are definitely a vital building block of a well-made trading plan.

4. History repeats itself

Another principle that is well known to every effective trader is that patterns and reactions tend to repeat itself. As John Murphy has voiced "The key to understanding the future lies in a study of the past." A historical study of the stock market, catching sight of familiar patterns can provide profitable trading signals. Though technically history on repeat isn't absolute, trading is definitely a deterministic system whereby no randomness is involved.

5. Buy fundamentally sound companies

To aggressively ride the market rally, recognizing fundamentally sound companies is of importance. Solely basing your moves on technicalities with price trends is such a dangerous foundation. Fundamental and technical analysis can work in conformity in spotting the best possible money maker.

6. Losses are part of trading

They said there is a big difference in losing and being defeated. As with everything else in life losing will always be a part of trading but you should be in control on how you manage your risk. Conquering emotional and mental residue is the only way you can reflect and learn to turn this into a factor that would lead you to earning back the loss and then some.

7. Success in Trading is the by-product of consistency

Discipline is one of the clichés of trading that some might brush off, but this just might be the only thing that can lead you to the top of your game as a trader. Working with consistency despite gains and losses through the trading process provides you the keystone of veering you away from unimportant factors that might be detrimental to your progress.

8. Your primary objective is capital preservation

Capital preservation is the vital action plan for protecting your financial assets in insuring the return of principal. This is the conscious attempt to avoid significant loss of value through low risk investments and perfectly honed risk managing.

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Trading in Commodity

Before we understand about commodity trading, let us know what commodity means. A commodity is anything in the market, on which you can place a value. It can be a market item such as food grains, metals, oil, which help in satisfying the needs of the supply and demand. The price of the commodity is subject to vary based on demand and supply. Now, back to what is commodity trading?

When commodities such as energy (crude oil, natural gas, gasoline), metals (gold, silver, platinum) and agricultural produce (corn, wheat, rice, cocoa, coffee, cotton and sugar) are traded for a financial gain, then it is called as commodity trading. These can be traded as spot, or as derivatives. Note: You can also trade live stocks, such as cattle as commodity.

In a spot market, you buy and sell the commodities for instant delivery. However, in the derivatives market, commodities are traded on various financial principles, such as futures. These futures are traded in exchanges. So what is an exchange?

Exchange is a governing body, which controls all the commodity trading activities. They ensure smooth trading activity between a buyer and seller. They help in creating an agreement between buyer and seller in terms of futures contracts. Examples of Exchanges are: MCX, NCDEX, and ECB. Wondering, what a futures contract is?

A futures contract is an agreement between a buyer and seller of the commodity for a future date at today's price. Futures contract is different from forward contract, unlike forward contracts; futures are standardized and traded according to the terms laid by the Exchange. It means, the parties involved in the contracts do not decide the terms of futures contracts; but they just accept the terms regularized by the Exchange. So, why invest in commodity trading? You invest because:

1. Commodity trading of futures can bring huge profit, in short span of time. One of the main reasons for this is low deposit margin. You end up paying anywhere between 5, 10 and 20% of the total value of the contract, which is much lower when compared to other forms of trading.

2. Regardless of performance of the commodity on which you have invested, it is easier to buy and sell them because of the good regulatory system formed by the exchange.

3. Hedging creates a platform for the producers to hedge their positions based on their exposure to the commodity.

4. There is no company risk involved, when it comes to commodity trading as opposed to stock market trading. Because, commodity trading is all about demand and supply. When there is a raise in demand for a particular commodity, it gets a higher price, likewise, the other way too. (can be based on season for some commodities, for example agricultural produce)

5. With the evolution of online trading, there is a drastic growth seen in the commodity trading, when compared to the equity market.

The data involved in commodity trading is complex. In today's commodity market, it is all about managing the data that is accurate, update, and includes information that enables the buyer or seller in performing trading. There are many companies in the market that provide solutions for commodity data management. You can use software developed by one of such companies, for efficient management and analysis of data for predicting the futures market.

The data management solutions or products help in accessing the accurate information, by filtering the required data for effective analysis.

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How Much Money Do You Really Need to Start E-Mini Trading?

To read some of the success stories I see being bandied about you should be able to start futures trading with $1,000 and have it transformed within a year to a sum topping six figures. I certainly am not saying that this feat is impossible, but I have never seen it done and have never met another trader who has seen it done. As a trader who is relatively new to the markets, the chances of taking a highly leveraged account that is undercapitalized and expecting anything short of a trading belly flop is delusional thinking.

I have written on this topic before and have since changed my mind on some of the ideas I previously presented. With added volatility, at least added volatility in a scalping sense, it has become difficult to trade with tight stops and widening stops ends up violating every money management rule that has ever been written. With a $3,000 account you could well end up risking 10% of your account on a spike or trading stops that exceed your trading plan's "at risk capital per trade" rules. I recommend risking 3% and no more than 5% on any single trade. In a highly random market it's hard to stay anywhere near those parameters with a small sized account. If you set your stops at the appropriate levels you have too much money at risk, and if you decide to go the "tight stop" route you can count on becoming the "stop-out king."

So, how much money is right to start trading?

I used to feel confident recommending $5000 to start an account and restrict your trading to the $5/tick e-mini contracts, specifically, the NQ and the YM. After some time has passed, I believe a more appropriate starting trading balance should be $10,000. The traders who seem to have the least worries about profit and loss tend to succeed at a higher rate than individuals in small account, and the added cushion in the trading account seems take the pressure off. Trading an undercapitalized account puts tremendous pressure on the trader to win. Pressure is something you don't need in trading.

Further, with a small account many novice traders aren't able to distinguish a day where profit may be hard to come by versus a day when the market is moving nicely and is reasonably predictable. A couple of poorly chosen trades in a tough market can quickly drain a small account and discourage a new trader.

In summary, you have the best chance of succeeding with an account of proper size which is, in my estimation, best pegged at $10,000. This is not to say that a trader with an account half that size can't trade effectively, but rather the added cushion tends to de-pressurize the early stages of trading long enough where some confidence can develop. Extremely small accounts are tough to trade successfully, and should be avoided. Just because the brokerage will let you open an account with $1000 doesn't mean you are on your way to a highly successful trading career, just the opposite, really.

Would you like to start earning 300% every week? So would I... yet you see this type of hype on many sites these days. I don't promise astronomical returns, but 25 years of Wall Street trading experience has helped churn out solid e-mini traders for 5 years. Come see me trade. Real trading doesn't lie.

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