What is Volatility in terms of trading please and other basic questions

I'm sure someone has edited my post above! Is that allowed? Can a moderator do that? should they not have let me knoe first...!
 
mmm - was that the bit about Helen?

she really is persona non grata to our moderators? but not an
expletive that warrants deletion?
 
That's the one barjon.....!
I'm glad someone read it at least - and I hadn't even said anything derisory about anyone - just something positive about helen!
The post ammendment only makes a derisory comment about that particualar moderator and I'm sure most of us know who she..oops - I mean , they are....

let's wait to see if this get's ammended....
 
OK r Kid...............sorry...Dr

anyhow, u wouldn't want to eat my brains there still growing....not mature enough

jay
 
aha! my post did get ammended - without my consent. Again!

We have a sad moderator on board peeps...
 
Gordon8

One way of looking at volatility is to measure average daily range in a particular stock/index or whatever.
So for example maybe the range would be 100 points on busy days and 50 on quieter, the more movement there is the more possibilities to make money out of it, also lack of dicipline on taking losses has a magnified effect.

Volatility tends to move to extremes and back again, so a period of very low volatility, will be followed by a period of high volatility.
 
Back to basics

Gordon8

I am interested in what you said at the beginning of this thread.
I didnt think that Sharescope supported Omnitrader. In otherwords I cant understand how your Omnitrader is working with a Sharescope feed.

I bring this up because I too am interested in the same setup.

Regards

Lita :cheesy:
 
Lita

What I do is update data in Sharescope then import it into Omnitrader - To be honest it is lots of fiddling around. I import the FTSE350 with no problems but can't import all the indices.

If you want to know how to do this - send me your e-mail address and I will send you details

Frankly - although the sharescope datafeed is only £11 per month, for an extra £4, you can get a decent data feed directly to Omnitrader.

Hope this helps
 
Gordon8

Thanks for your reply, I see what you are doing.
The problem with this system is that you spend more time on the mechanics, (ie importing the data after downloads) than you do on the analysis.

Far better to pay the extra and get the download directly into the software you are using.

One thing I have noticed in your correspondence is that you seem to be concentrating on analytics. I assume that you already have a solid money management system in place and that you are psychologically aware of what trading the FTSE entails?

Regards
 
Lita

I would agree with you about importing data from Sharescope into Omnitrader which is why I did not recommend it. If I was in a position of trading full time, I would change immediately!

However, I am at a stage where I am 'playing' and learning (I really am a complete novice!)and am putting on so few real trades that the cumbersome data feed is not critical. When my mortgage paying business and personal circumstances permit - It will be done!!

You are right - I am concentrating on Financial analysis. My knowledge is so slight that it is vital that I do. :eek:

I am so tight with my money (!) that I would say that my money management is good. I am playing with very low stakes and currently am breaking even or making enough money to just about buy a packet of fags and am having fun learning - which is what this is all about for me, right now. I don't expect to earn a fortune till I am much further on in my learning than I am now.

I am brilliant at cutting my losses immediately I realise I am wrong - As I am not very good yet, this is quite often! I have now started to try to scale up with winning trades on a paper trading basis as I have not quite mastered this as yet and am aware that I would have lost all profit if I had done this for real!

I am not quite sure about what you mean about being psychologically aware of what trading the FTSE entails so the answer is probably not!

Please enlighten me

Regards

Alex
 
Gordon8

Trading Psychology is different for each and every trader. I understand that at present you are 'paper trading' and that has its merits. However until you enter the market for real its impossible for you to feel the huge range of emotions that every novice trader has to go through to earn his or her 'trading wings', so to speak. Learning to live with these emotions and using them to help you to trade, rather than hinder, is as big a part of trading as learning technical and or fundamental analysis. Often it is due to a traders inability to switch off emotion that finally finishes him or her off. Ninety five percent of people wishing to trade full time fail and by far the majority of failures are a result untamed emotion.

Trading is best learned using a bottom up approach.
1) Write up a trading plan
2) Know your objectives
3) Define your risks
4) Learn about Money Management
5) Develop a Strategy that suits you and stick with it

You said that you are adept at cutting losses. This is of course a major plus and an excellent beginning to any trading career. There is however much much more to learn and most of this has to be learned in the market itself. The potential emotional pitfalls do not kick in until you finish trading on paper and get in to the market for real.

Having said all this if you can overcome the many problems you have yet to face, trading for a living is the best and potentially most rewarding job in existence and I wish you every success.
 
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