What percentage of swing traders are successful?
Bottom Line. The Swing Trading strategy can lead to profits in the short term, usually in the range of 10% to 30%. However, as most things investing usually are, it is a risky bet. About 90% of traders report losses during trading.
How much does a Swing Trading make? As of Mar 18, 2024, the average hourly pay for a Swing Trading in the United States is $12.19 an hour.
We've seen estimations that as many as 90% of swing traders fail to make money in the stock market – meaning they either break even or lose money.
Swing Trading Strategy
Rather than targeting 20% to 25% profits for most of your stocks, the profit goal is a more modest 10%, or even just 5% in tougher markets. Those types of gains might not seem to be the life-changing rewards typically sought in the stock market, but this is where the time factor comes in.
However, it's important to note that an estimated 90% of swing traders do not make money. This suggests that the average success rate of swing traders who do earn a profit annually is about 10%. As such, swing trading isn't a get-rich-quick scheme, but a strategic approach that requires skill, patience, and discipline.
If you are willing to dedicate yourself entirely to it, you can easily earn a living through swing trading alone. Or, treat it as a secondary source of income and earn some extra money on the side.
The Swing Trading strategy can lead to profits in the short term, usually in the range of 10% to 30%. However, as most things investing usually are, it is a risky bet. About 90% of traders report losses during trading.
Both day trading and swing trading are riskier, but the day trader has less time to make decisions and respond correctly. Also, a person will require more experience and knowledge to enter day trading. However, swing trading, on the other hand, is quite easy to manage. A person doesn't have to devote their full time.
Since swing trading can be undertaken by anyone with some investment capital and does not require full-time attention, it is a viable option for traders who want to keep their full-time jobs but also dabble in the markets.
The holding period for a typical swing trade falls somewhere between two days and two weeks. Of course, there are exceptions where some trades are held for longer periods of time – but we'll talk about that later on. For now, let's focus on the average holding period for a swing trade.
What is the 1% rule in swing trading?
The 1% risk rule means not risking more than 1% of account capital on a single trade. It doesn't mean only putting 1% of your capital into a trade. Put as much capital as you wish, but if the trade is losing more than 1% of your total capital, close the position.
From Paul Tudor Jones to Stanley Druckenmiller, the list of successful swing traders is long and illustrious. Each of these traders had their own unique style and approach, but they all shared a common trait – the ability to anticipate major market movements and make bold bets on the outcomes.
Aiming for a 5-10% monthly return is a common and a realistic swing trading return. To translate this into a living wage, you'd need to define what “making a living” means for you. For instance, if your monthly expenses are $3,000, a capital of $30,000 with a 10% return would suffice.
When done correctly using sound trading rules, swing trading can absolutely produce big gains. Even though you're aiming for 5-10% profit in a swing trade, those gains add up quickly when you reinvest the profits in new stocks and grow the overall size of your portfolio.
Many people put in multiple years before breaking into consistent (or even any) profitability. It takes at least a year to consistently make money from day trading or swing trading, if working at it full-time or with a mentor, and only working one (maybe two) strategies. Six months is the quickest; most take longer.
The defining feature of day trading is that traders do not hold positions overnight; instead, they seek to profit from short-term price movements occurring during the trading session.It can be considered one of the most profitable trading methods available to investors.
With a $10,000 account, a good day might bring in a five percent gain, which is $500. However, day traders also need to consider fixed costs such as commissions charged by brokers. These commissions can eat into profits, and day traders need to earn enough to overcome these fees [2].
The recommended minimum to start swing trading with is $600. Again, this makes sure that there is enough money so that 1% or less of the capital can be risked on any single trade.
20 / 21 period: The 21 moving average is my preferred choice when it comes to short-term swing trading.
Swing traders will earn much more profit per trade – but you'll have to be patient, as you may not realize that profit for a few weeks in some cases. Scalpers, on the other hand, earn minuscule profit percentages per trade. After all, this strategy entails capitalizing on minor price movements over a few minutes.
Which is more profitable swing trading or investing?
Over the course of a year, the small wins a swing trader earns add up to far more than that of a long term investor as those small wins compound your earnings at a greater rate. And, these returns come quickly because swing traders enter and exit their position in as little as a few days.
Most successful swing traders look to enter trades where they have a favorable risk/reward ratio, and enter and exit trades with a specific plan for entry and exit. Swing traders are most successful when they are disciplined about taking small losses.
Most swing traders use daily charts (like 60 minutes, 24 hours, 48 hours, etc.) to choose the best entry or exit point. However, some may use shorter time frame charts, such as 4-hour or hourly charts.
Consider other types of trading: If you do not meet the $25,000 minimum equity requirement, you can still engage in swing trading or long-term investing. These types of trading do not have a minimum equity requirement and can help you build your account balance over time.
Generally, the time frames for swing trading you want to use are the weekly, daily, 4-hour and 1-hour charts.
