The Right Market

Trend trading strategies assume that a security will continue to move in the same direction as it is currently trending. Such strategies often contain a take-profit or stop-loss provision in order to lock in a profit or avoid big losses if a trend reversal occurs. Trend trading is used by short-, intermediate-, and long-term traders. Traders use both price action and other technical tools…

Swing trading requires upfront capital to enter into a position. It also heavily relies on charting software and a technical analysis setup. In addition, it’s advised to understand simple moving averages and trading channels to properly set up your early trades.

Simple moving averages (SMAs) provide support and resistance levels, as well as bullish and bearish patterns. Support and resistance levels are often useful information when determining a course of action. Bullish and bearish crossover patterns signal price points where you should enter and exit stocks. The exponential moving average (EMA) is a variation of the SMA that places…

The best swing trading conditions occur when financial markets are trading sideways. When the market is transitioning between bear and bull markets or when the market is facing broad uncertainty, the best positions often present themselves for swing trading. Several items to consider include:

The first key to successful swing trading is picking the right stocks. There are two key variables to consider when choosing the stocks to swing trade: liquidity and volatility. The best candidates are large-cap stocks, which are among the most actively traded stocks on the major exchanges. In an active market, these stocks will have a high transaction…

Swing trading is less risky than other forms of short-term trading. By relying on technical analysis and holding positions for a short period of time, there is a lower risk that you get stuck holding an unliquidated position. With that said, swing traders must properly identify when to enter and exit positions; if read incorrectly,…