Trading Strategies

There are many reasons why some succeed at trading, while others badly fail. One of the biggest differences is in trade preparation, establishing proper targets, and being able to stay in the position. Having a sound trading plan and strategy can make the world of difference to any trader, no matter their experience level. Top professional traders share their expert trading strategies to help you become a more consistently profitable trader.

Articles on Trading Strategies

This week’s earnings calendar is even heavier than last week’s, setting up plenty of potential opportunities for pre-earnings straddle buys. Many stocks are showing the classic saw-toothed implied volatility patterns – like Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN), advises Lawrence McMillan, editor at Option Strategist.
Markets have healed a bit. The psyche of investors and traders? Not so much!
It’s time to catch up on Weekly Trend Following positions, the 52-Week Strategy, and the ProShares Ultra S&P500 2X Shares (SSO). We looked at this last week, but the indicator didn’t close above zero when the screens were switched off for the weekend, notes Ian Muprhy, founder of Murphy Trading.
I just had a fascinating conversation with Amber Kanwar, host of In the Money with Amber Kanwar, for my MoneyShow MoneyMasters Podcast. Based in Toronto, she has been covering Canadian and US markets for more than 15 years for BNN Bloomberg, CTV, and other financial media outlets.
In a sign that President Trump is blinking, he said he plans to be “very nice” to China in any talks and that tariffs will drop if the two countries can reach a deal. But from a technical perspective, the S&P 500 Index (SPX) forecast remains rather undecided, explains Fawad Razaqzada, technical analyst at Trading Candles.
The major indices closed with nice gains on Wednesday, but well off the highs achieved earlier in the session. The S&P 500 Index (SPX) gained 1.4%, while the Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) added 2.1%. So, it shouldn't be hard to tell what sector led – technology. But the bigger technical picture remains troubling, observes John Eade, president of Argus Research.
Few things are as exciting as “face-ripping” rallies in the stock market. One minute, you’re watching your trading positions sink into the abyss. The next, you’re seeing them soar – and you’re frantically scanning the newswires, social media, or financial television to see what happened.
At least we’ve made SOME progress. When it comes to the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY), that is.
We recently discussed the decline in the dollar relative to the parade of people trying to get clicks and views by promoting the “death of the dollar.” The next big bearish headline will be the “death cross” of the S&P 500 Index (SPX). It sounds ominous when couched in those terms, but all it means is that the 50-dma has crossed below the 200-dma, notes Lance Roberts, editor of Bull Bear Report.
Amidst the volatility currently swirling around equity markets, it would be easy to forget about earnings. But the numbers for Q1 2025 are starting to roll in nevertheless. According to analysts surveyed by LSEG, Phillips 66 (PSX) has seen the largest revision of any firm in the S&P 500 Index (SPX), with an expected drop in earnings of -166%, highlights Ian Murphy, founder of Murphy Trading.

Experts on Trading Strategies


Virtual Expos

Virtual Learning

Discover how institutional traders move the markets and learn to trade alongside them using real-time options flow data. In this session, we’ll break down how to interpret large block orders, sweeps, and volume spikes—leveraging SensaMarket’s 100+ pre-built strategies to maximize your trading edge.

So, just what is a common-sense trading strategy? It does the following: your money grows in up-markets, down markets, and flat markets. Your money is liquid all the time. Get in or out anytime you want. And on top of all of that, you get to choose whether you want a 1x or 2x or 3x growth rate. Join Mike Turner, a world-class thought leader for money management, as he walks you through one of the most amazing common-sense and incredibly successful portfolio management processes you have ever seen and how easy it is to put this process to work for you today! No more guessing about what the market is going to do tomorrow or next week or for the rest of the year  You’ll actually look forward to bear markets instead of being scared to death of them. Finally… A trading strategy that works in all markets!

So, just what is a common-sense trading strategy? It does the following: your money grows in up-markets, down markets, and flat markets. Your money is liquid all the time. Get in or out anytime you want. And on top of all of that, you get to choose whether you want a 1x or 2x or 3x growth rate. Join Mike Turner, a world-class thought leader for money management, as he walks you through one of the most amazing common-sense and incredibly successful portfolio management processes you have ever seen and how easy it is to put this process to work for you today! No more guessing about what the market is going to do tomorrow or next week or for the rest of the year  You’ll actually look forward to bear markets instead of being scared to death of them. Finally… A trading strategy that works in all markets!

From Cryptos and Mega-Caps to the Dollar, Crude and Corn, no market sectors are going to be left untouched as instruments rotate to new levels of equilibrium as investors and traders begin to understand the ramifications and unintended consequences stemming from a new legislative agenda.  Nobody can say with certainty what is going to happen.  Don't predict - follow price action!  Join me as we walk through the application of trend following principles on futures, equities and cryptos.

Garrett Patten, senior analyst at ElliottWaveTrader, shares his chart analysis on individual stocks that may be setting up for moves in 2025.   Garrett, who co-hosts Stock Waves and the Metals & Mining services at EWT in addition to hosting World Markets, will also share his insights into which areas of the market present the best opportunities this year. 

IBD’s MarketDiem newsletter gives you hand-picked trade ideas for stocks and options right in your inbox every weekday during market hours. Our team does the research, so you get smarter trading insights, timely market analysis, and even bite-size investing lessons––all in a quick 5-minute read. Subscribe today for $4.99 per month or just $20 for the entire year.    

Renowned Elliotticians Bob Prechter and Avi Gilburt converse about all things Elliott Wave in their first-ever joint webinar.  Join us for an evening of insight into how two Elliott Wave powerhouses developed their strategies and how they currently apply EW to the equity markets and precious metals.   

Renowned technical analyst Harry Boxer, author of the book, Profitable Day & Swing Trading, and founder of the website, thetechtrader.com, will take your symbols and analyze each chart technically in depth. Harry will give you his buy, sell, or hold technical opinion along with defined targets and stops for each symbol 

Profitable trading strategies implemented by traders with flawed discipline and subjective rules will lose money, no matter how good these strategies may be in back testing. Conversely, disciplined traders with objective rules can often make money even with marginally profitable trading strategies. This troubling gap between winners and losers cannot be narrowed to specific learning models designed to enhance confidence which improves discipline which, in turn, helps traders become winners. This unique presentation is not about trader psychology, but about specific methods new and experienced traders can use to improve their bottom-line results. Don’t miss it! 

Conferences


In today’s uncertain and computer-driven market, lots of traders are making one critical mistake. They don’t know how to manage a trade once they are in it, so they hold and watch a winner become a loser. Learn how to line up a successful trade, set a realistic target, and know when a trade is not going to work out, so you can exit before incurring large losses.

Trading requires a disciplined approach and there are techniques you can learn to use now that can minimize your risk and increase your profits. The secret lies in knowing how consistently profitable traders find trades and manage them well from start to finish. Anyone can learn these trading strategies—all you need is a commitment to discover what works and the confidence to implement them. Whether you trade stocks, options, or futures, we’ve gathered the top experts here to show you specific tactics that can be used immediately to spot opportunities and trade them profitably.

Trading is a dynamic enterprise. If you aren’t improving your systems, strategies, and technology you may be losing ground. Our experts will keep you up to date on all the cutting-edge tools—as well as some that have stood the test of time—to keep you on the fast track to trading success.

Whether you're just starting out or a veteran trader looking for fresh ideas, or you are interested in learning day trading strategies, stock trading strategies, and everything in between, this section is made for you.Every article, video, or event is designed to bring you the latest intelligence available so that you can make better trading decisions, starting with your very next trade. Our experts will help you gain the edge you need to succeed in any market environment.