E-mini Trading Tips: When To Avoid The Markets
E-mini Trading can be a very profitable venture if done correctly and in this article we go over the worst times of the day to trade. Maintaining c...
E-mini Trading can be a very profitable venture if done correctly and in this article we go over the worst times of the day to trade.
Maintaining consistent results as a trader means exploiting your edge over other participants and in e-mini trading there are times throughout the day when technical traders lose their advantage. Below we have developed a list of the best times to turn your focus away from the charts.
1. 4:15 pm EST – 2:30 AM EST
Commonly referred to as the After Hours session the period directly after the US market shuts down can be extremely slow trading. Low participation levels often means the market won’t move a tick for several hours. The flipside of low volume is that important support and resistance levels where you would normally expect to see high participation can be wiped out without much of a fight. Moves that occur during this time period are best left to traders who watch and trade multiple markets.
2. 9:30 AM EST -10:00 AM EST
The first thirty minutes of the US market session can be extremely volatile. Intelligent traders know to stay out of these conditions and to let the market orders disperse before they look for quality set ups. The daily news is usually delivered between 8:30 AM EST – 10:00 AM EST which can also add to the volatility. It is best to wait for panic and fear to subside before making any reads on overall market conditions for the day.
3. 11:30 AM EST – 1:15 PM EST
The middle of the day often sees a drop off in volume. Traders have identified the market move for the day and have initiated new positions throughout the morning session. By the time lunch comes around they are content to sit and wait to see what happens following the afternoon session. As volume dries up so to does price movement and without volatility it is very difficult to find profitable trades. Take an hour or so to recharge your batteries and analyse the morning session. Come back with a plan for the afternoon.
4. 3:00 PM EST – 4:00 PM EST
Often referred to as the hour of madness the last hour of the day is seen by many as the single worst time to be initiating new orders in the markets. Avoid trading at this time at all costs. Price swings can be very violent and have absolutely no technical bearing whatsoever. If you are in a position you may want to tighten stops and look for an exit as the closing bell approaches. The closer 4:00 PM gets, the higher the number of market orders there are being placed, as traders climb over each other to get out of the market.
Avoiding trading during these times will allow you to focus on the times that are consistently profitable. You will have more energy and more focus when you do take some time away and you will see the benefits in your profit and loss statements. Profitable e-mini trading means trading your advantage and at these times of the day there simply isn’t any edge to trade.
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