Currency Trading Information

Stopping Yourself


I read on a bulletin board a traders comment that on his first outing trading the E-Mini S&P 500 he lost on each of his trades. He noted though, that had he had a wider stop each of his trades would have been profitable and that therefore he would be trading with a wider stop in future.

A wider stop on these particular trades may have worked, but this does not mean that a wider stop per se is the answer. In fact, everyday there is the possibility of any given trade going into profit if given enough room, but that does not a wise strategy make. This trader was a seller in a market that subsequently went down; hence he could see that had he given his position a bit more room he would have made a handsome profit. Unless this trader has the ability to always accurately predict the direction of the market he is going to experience days where he is wrong and the market goes against him, in which case his potential for loss with wider stops is greater.

When deciding an appropriate amount to risk on any trade (i.e. size of stop) a trader has to consider more than the potential profit on a particular trade on a particular day. What this trader was saying to himself was 'If I had a 3 point stop instead of a 1 point stop, I could have made 15 points; therefore I will always use a 3 point stop!' Partly what he was saying to himself was 'I was right!' But he wasn't right; in the time frame of his trades and within the risk limit of those trades he was wrong, his timing was off and that is what he needs to work on.

He is also making two assumptions:

1) That having a bigger stop and therefore bigger open losses will not affect his trading composure and performance (how do you feel if you are risking $10?? $100?? $1000?? $10,000?)

2) That he would have held on to his profitable trade until he gets an exit signal (it is easy to assume after the event that we would have got out at the very best moment)

The truth is we are all much weaker than we would like to assume. The biggest challenge to profitable trading is sticking to our own self-imposed loss limits, be they on a per-day or a per-trade basis. What this trader did on this day was stick to his limits, which is highly commendable; he was just having difficulty accepting his results. No one likes losing money and no one like being wrong, but to be successful in trading we have to be accepting of both.

Malcolm Robinson
LIFFE Pit Trader & Electronic Trader
InstinctiveTrader.com


MORE RESOURCES:

PHP Error Message

Warning: set_time_limit() has been disabled for security reasons in /home/a1838320/public_html/forex/inc/rss.inc on line 8


Two Principals of Foreign Currency Trading Firm Sentenced for $17 Million ...
LoanSafe
by Evan Bedard on February 3, 2012 in Scams (Source: FBI) – CHICAGO—Two principals of a foreign currency trading firm that collapsed in 2007 were sentenced to 17 years and 12.5 years in federal prison, respectively, after pleading guilty to fraud ...
2 sentenced for stealing millions in fraud schemeHarrisburg Daily Register
Feds: 2 sentenced for stealing $17 million in fraudChicago Tribune

all 33 news articles »


Argentina Sends Tax Agents to Control Currency Trading
Wall Street Journal
Afip said that one well-known currency trading business, Banco Piano, refused to let inspectors do their job. As a result, Afip officials interviewed Banco Piano customers outside three of the company's branches. The government will fine Banco Piano ...

and more »


FOCUS: Technology Buoys Retail Currency Trading, Reshapes Old Models
Wall Street Journal
By Eva Szalay Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES LONDON (Dow Jones)--Retail foreign-exchange trading is emerging as one of the biggest growth areas in the currencies space, and some of the trading firms that facilitate these flows are building up a whole new ...

and more »


Morgan Stanley Currency-Trading Head Stephen Mettler Leaves Bank
BusinessWeek
By Michael J. Moore Jan. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Stephen Mettler, who oversaw Morgan Stanley's interest rates and foreign-exchange trading businesses, has left the bank. Mettler, who joined the firm in 1997, retired, according to an internal memo obtained by ...

and more »


The Daily Star

Iran bans foreign currency trading on the street
CBS News
Ebrahim Darvishi said authorities were monitoring street vendors and currency trading operations, in what was the government's latest effort to shore up the currency which was being traded on the open market at rates differing from those set by the ...
Iran bans foreign currency tradingBusiness Recorder (blog)
Iran's CB forbids foreign currency trading outside banksMiddle East North Africa Financial Network

all 141 news articles »


Daily Monitor

Weighing currency trading options
Daily Monitor
The use of leverage in currency trading is perhaps the biggest source of opportunity and stunning returns but also a significant source of investment risk that traders must know about. The commonly presented picture of glowing investment performance is ...



Evening Standard

Swiss bank chief quits after currency trading scandal
Evening Standard
The head of the Swiss central bank today dramatically resigned in a bid to end the foreign currency trading scandal that has shaken the institution to its core. Philipp Hildebrand has been under pressure to quit since it emerged last week that his wife ...
Hildebrand steps down as head of Swiss Central BankVancouver Sun
Swiss central banker quits over currency scandalCitywire.co.uk
Hildebrand Floored, So Is Swiss FrancWall Street Journal
San Francisco Chronicle -The Independent -Calcutta Telegraph
all 1,054 news articles »


CNBC.com

Euro Fails To Crack $1.32 – Greek Tragedy Enters Final Act
TheStreet.com
CV DailyFX is the forex news and research arm of FXCM, Inc (NYSE: FXCM), which provides currency trading and brokerage services and is an advertiser on TheStreet websites. Any opinions, news, research, analyses, prices, or other information is provided ...
Dollar erases gains against euro after US jobs reportWashington Post

all 189 news articles »


When Will The Kiwi's Remarkable Run End? Now.
TheStreet.com
CV DailyFX is the forex news and research arm of FXCM, Inc (NYSE: FXCM), which provides currency trading and brokerage services and is an advertiser on TheStreet websites. Any opinions, news, research, analyses, prices, or other information is provided ...

and more »


Daily Monitor

Currency trading mystery unearthed
Daily Monitor
Sometimes, however, the opportunities are about obscure pursuits like mining, oil exploration, or in this case currency trading. Over the last year or so, currency trading with the promise of lucrative returns has taken Kampalans by the storm.

and more »

Google News

home | site map
© 2006