Many new futures traders find their way to the futures market through stock trading. One of the very first lessons a stock trader will learn, especially day traders and scalp traders, is to watch the S&P 500 futures. Most stock traders have a very strong respect for the S&P 500 futures because they know that wherever they go, the cash markets will follow. Index futures traders that trade the Dow and NASDAQ emini contracts will also follow the S&P 500 futures as well since they know the second they go south, it is time to exit all long positions.
Always keeping one eye on the S&P 500 futures is the first lesson a novice trader needs to learn in how to trade eminis. Many day traders eventually move to the futures markets but for various reasons. One very large reason is the that index futures require very little research on the part to the trader each night since they trade the same market everyday. Stock traders must scan and research different stock charts every night to find possible trade set-ups that offer trading opportunities once the market opens the next day.
Another reason stock traders may decide to change from stocks to index futures is volatility. On any given day the market is open, futures will almost always move to one direction or another offering opportunities for profit. Volatility is the key to movements that appear on chart screens that offer potential trade set-ups and executions. Reasons vary as to why futures contract traders choose the emini market but one reason is clear, they do offer enormous income opportunity for traders that are disciplined and focused.
Learning how to trade eminis takes time and should not be approached until sound fundamentals are acquired on how the dynamics of the market works. New and inexperienced traders that have not taken the time to gain the fundamentals about the larger markets, including the futures market will most certainly fail and deplete their trading account quickly. One “death spike” can completely destroy a trading account. A death spike receives it’s name because of it’s formation on a chart. Usually death spikes occur when a unexpected financial news item hits the wires. In seconds, the futures market can turn and blow past stops, not stopping until the market has shaved off 30 or more points in seconds.
Being unprepared for these events can be catastrophic for the inexperienced futures traders. Trading more than one contract at a time with no experience is the main reason for these trading losses. Novice traders often exhibit impatience and want to rush the road to profits and end up losing all of their trading capital.
Money management or preservation of trading capital is one of, if not the most important rules and discipline a futures trader can learn. If there is on area that a trader should focus his energies on, it is developing a system that is mechanical in nature, either through software or mentally, and never deviate from this system during the trading day.
Developing a emini trading system that is tested against real time market data before ever trading the markets live, will increase the trader’s chances of being successful. Experienced futures market traders all use a method that has been tested and back tested and proven. A major function of the mechanical trading system is money management used to protect their trading capital.
Although their trading system may vary in design, all focus on money management, One trader may just use piviot points, another may use support and resistance, while others may use moving averages and crossovers. Trading systems are as varied as traders but all have one thing in common…money management!
When experienced traders first learned how to trade eminis, they quickly learned that using stops and exiting trades quickly once the trade goes south it the key to winning as in the emini markets. In fact, most traders will tell you, they experience more losing trades than winning trades, however, they have learned to cut the losing trades short and capitalize on winning trades.
Also, we need to address trading platforms. Charting software and brokerage accounts a re a dime a dozen…there are 100’s which cater to trading the various financial markets. A broker should be chosen with two very important points to consider: One is commission. Brokerage firms that cater to all financial market traders will more often have higher commissions than one that specializes in one market such as the emini market. Commission rates vary, but finding commission rates of $2.50 per side is not uncommon and these brokers should be sought out since commissions can eat into profits.
The 2nd is trade execution. The emini contract markets are fluid, volatile and can be lighting fast and fast executions are a necessity. Again, brokerage firms that specialize know what traders need in a trading platform and will offer the best executions for their clients.
Learning how to trade eminis takes discipline and focus, however once a system is proven, a new trader can quickly become a profitable trader.
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