Nasty Institutional Traders Run The Stops

By Mike Smith

Scores of traders feel you should set your stop based on how much money you are prepared to suffer the loss of. This is a huge mistake institutional traders hope you continue to make. Stop placement requires better competence than that. A stop must not be placed too close to the current market price or too far away.

Where You Must Never Place A Stop

Exactly above preceding highs or just below former lows is a risky place for stops. An equally treacherous place for stops is at the 50 and 200 day MAs. This is for the reason that lots of stops are repeatedly jammed together at these prices, welcoming institutional stop-runners to snipe the stops. Former intraday highs and lows are also areas where stops will build up.

The Major Blunder You Need To Avoid When Placing A Trailing Stop

When placing a trailing stop, you should reposition the stop in a explicit direction only. If the market is moving higher and you are long, your trailing sell stop must be moved higher. Conversely, if you are short and the market is moving lower, you must move your buy stop down-never higher-as the position gains profits.

How To Exploit Fibonacci Retracement Levels As Places To Situate Your Stops

The greatest percentage you want the market to retrace is .618 (61.8%) of the original move. You do not want the stop placed exactly at the .618 point, but slightly below or higher than that level, depending upon whether you are buying or selling. The wisdom is, institutional stop-runners will repeatedly target the stops at that level. As soon as the market has retraced more than .618, odds are the market is going to continue to trend in its current direction.

How You Can Discover If Institutional and Professional Traders Are Stop-Running

Stop-running is characterized by what is identified as price denial. The market quickly moves lower, only to do a swift recovery. This chart pattern usually appears as a 'v' bottom. At highs, the market will often surge up on short covering, go dead at the top, and swiftly move lower. This chart pattern usually appears as a 'v' top. Once the stops are run, the market generally moves in the opposite direction.

How Market Volatility Can Help You Establish Your Stops

As market volatility increases, the stops should be moved further away from the current market price. Keep an eyeball on the Volatility Index ($VIX). The higher the $VIX, the further away from the existing market price you should set your stops. This simply makes good judgment, as otherwise random moves will cause the stops to be hit. Try to avoid placing your stop where other traders have placed theirs. An abundance of stops at one price will generate panic buying or selling and you will receive a appalling fill as a consequence. - 31987

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