Assess the risk.
To make any trade, there is a constant balance between risk and reward. One of the main benefits of day trading is that the positions you hold are not subjected to overnight or weekend market risk. This is not the case when it comes to swing trading, as trades can last from a few days to multiple weeks.
But, if you can plan for it effectively, it is a good way to maximize profit and spend less time analyzing markets, compared to day trading. This is an intentional and calculated risk based on an analysis of market moves and expected price movements. The strength of using this with automated trading is that you can set your rules and let it do the work, and you can keep fear from being the driver that pulls you from the plan as time goes on.
You don't climb mountains without a team, you don't climb mountains without being fit, you don't climb mountains without being prepared and you don't climb mountains without balancing the risks and rewards. And you never climb a mountain on accident - it has to be intentional.
Mark Udall
Former United States Senator
Ready to get started?
Trust the plan,
trust the pattern.
Swing trades often revolve around patterns, like Harmonic patterns and breakout patterns. Harmonic patterns are price action based, and geometric patterns are bumped up a notch using the Fibonacci sequence to help identify turning points for the market. Traders use these patterns to determine when and how a market will move, highlighted by people like H.M. Gartley in his book Profits in the Stock Market.
The strength of an automated trading strategy becomes apparent, as you can set predetermined rules to trust the plan and lower the risk of a swing trade based on the patterns. This comes from adding stop-losses in and being completely based on market data rather than a gut feeling.