Hours of the day I never trade

[teewoods]

I was wondering if anyone avoids trading at certain hours of the day?

I primarily day trade the DAX and AVOID trading between the following hours.

7AM - 8.30am
13.00pm - 3.00pm
8pm - onwards

My key trading times are 8.30am - 12noon and I like trading from 18:00pm - 8pm. Also, one can catch some great moves 30mins or so after the us market. So trading from 3pm - 4pm can be good too.

I stick to my trading hours, this is based on my trading style and a pattern in my trading P/L.

I'm looking to completely stop trading between - 12noon - 6pm and just narrow it down to the 3.5 hours Europe and 2 hours US markets. For me this eliminates a lot of the white noise in the markets.

And more importantly keeping these hours free also gives me ample time t do other stuff, gym, golf, socilasing and mentally refreshed for the final 2 hours of US trading. I used to do 12hours a day on the screen, a complete waste of time

 

[BSD]

Totally agree with the concept of limiting your trading to certain times.

ABN AMRO did a study on the FDAX and Bund that pretty much showed that pattern or indicator based trading systems performed best when trading the first two hours of the open, 8am CET for the BUND, 9am CET for the Dax, and then again from 16:00 - 18:00 CET.

They also said that 20 - 40% of new highs / lows are made in the first open hour, and then again from 16 - 18:00 CET you have another window of opportunity with more activity, higher winning percentages, and more points per trade than during the other hours.

So, yup, off to the gym in between.

 

[Masquerade]

The hours I sleep (although not always true.)

 

[shadowninja]

Depends on your trading style, surely. If you scalp fx, then scalping the "Asian" times will be painful. Swinging isn't such a problem. Put a trade on, go back to my security guard duties.

 

[Sang Froid]

Forex and I never trade the Asian session, I usually quit about 18.00gmt and start again about 0700gmt. I also miss out Fridays altogether and likewise Sunday nights

 

[Masquerade]

I also miss out Fridays altogether and likewise Sunday nights

I have been thinking about doing this. I took last friday off to try, I was so bored. I don't like friday from a psychological perspective. I need to find something else to fill the void.

 

[Sang Froid]

I have been thinking about doing this. I took last friday off to try, I was so bored. I don't like friday from a psychological perspective. I need to find something else to fill the void.

The thought of losing all those hard earned pips too much to handle on a Friday, why not try online poker to fill the 'void'?

 

[Masquerade]

The thought of losing all those hard earned pips too much to handle on a Friday, why not try online poker to fill the 'void'?

That's one of my reasons, it's pretty frustrating spunking away half your week's profit in the space of a friday afternoon. Also I don't like the idea of feeling pressured to be out of a trade by friday close.

I play poker online already. Just fancy something different non-related to money. Ideas so far: doing some volunteer work, go do some sport/exercise, a bit of sports betting (low risk stuff though but still money related), read, just be lazy, see how many girls numbers I can get in a day and then try beat it the following week (that one I thought up recently.)

 

[BSD]

see how many girls numbers I can get in a day and then try beat it the following week (that one I thought up recently.)

That one sounds pretty good I say

 

[0007]

Never trade 10pm-6am. Mornings not recommended, neither are afternoons or evenings. Acknowledgements to Mark Twain for this trading tip.

 

[burcam]

I trade the bund and only trade between 8am-12GMT as I find the first 30/60 minutes quite random, although if a good opp comes about between 7:30/8 then I will trade. I finish for Lunch at 12 because again some random movements as the US starts to wake up.

1:20 - 4:30: Treasuries cash market opens and the randomness from 12-1:20 has gone. 4:30 I finish as sitting at a dozen screens most of the day does my head in.

 

[wackypete2]

The hours I sleep (although not always true.)

My wife has accused me of sleep-trading more than once

Peter

 

[who_am_i]

Nice to know I am not the only one that trades the way I do...

 

[hazelj80]

trade times don't really matter to me. price does what it does when it does it. limiting trading times to me is limiting opportunity because what happens if you don't get a signal in your specified time? and then it comes at a completely different time? but I know if you scalp people always try to find the "sweet spots" in the market. after a while I just came to the conclusion that there isn't really one at all. just do what price tells you to do. and that's about it