Trading Library

The ultimate goal of share trading is to earn money, but there are varying reasons why people trade. Making money from the stock market can be a huge gamble, and involves wagering a considerable amount of cash in something that has no certain outcome. But if you look at both the details and the big picture, trading does have its perks that renders it as an attractive venture.

Everybody has to start somewhere in the uphill climb to be share trading pros. Do not jump ship and abandon your 9-5 job just yet. Get your feet wet by trading on the side, and when you are earning more than you are losing, maybe, just maybe you can trade from home full time.

The trading information available on the web can overwhelm the newbie, so where do you start? Read on for beginner tips in cracking the market.

What Computer System Should I Use?

All of us has to start somewhere. Unfortunately that somewhere isn't always a good place to start. When it comes to trading, most often than not, newbies are lured by the prospect of earning millions without realising how much hard work is needed for it to happen. Apart from that, you will need a considerable amount of capital to begin with. Don't expect to make big gains out of small wagers, especially in the stock market.

You sell a stock you don't own when you "short" the market. You don't own the stock, the broker lets you borrow it. Where does the broker get the stock? The stock comes from the brokerage's own inventory or from another brokerage firm. Shorting is the opposite of a long investment. Trader X goes long when he buys stock ABC and expects the price to rise in the future. When trader X goes short, he expects a price decrease.

Usually, traders short to profit from risky investments during market fluctuations. Here are some ways to profit from a drop in the markets by shorting:

Setting a stop loss point is probably the most important rule a trader needs. Share trading is a game of chance, and it's only natural to hold on to losing trades. Using stop losses will minimise risk that you will sink with the ship and lose all your capital.

Aside from hard stops, many traders find using an ATR (average true range) stop efficient. The average true range is a moving average (14-days) that measures volatility over time, but not price direction. When using ATR stops, the stop length (usually 14) is marked by the average true range percentage.