Keeping Losses on an Individual Stock to $300, and Individual Trades Even Less!!!
Recently a trend has emerged in my trading, where I will be trading extremely well, and then seemingly randomly I will lose control of my loss cutting ability. This isn't a case of enormous size and not stopping myself out. It is more a case of continuing to trade the same stock that I've struggled with, probably increasing size, and having wider risk. As a result I established the goal of no individual trade loss to exceed $150 (swing trades are an exception to this), and no losses on an individual stock to exceed $300. The idea being that if I can lose $300 on a stock then I'm either not in the right mindset for trading, or I haven't got a very good feel for the way that stock is trading. Usually it's the former... Which arises to some of the problems fulfilling the goal as mentioned below.
Positives (yes there are positives): (1) I never let the loss get too far out of control. Never add, add etc to anywhere near the blowup stage. There is no problem cutting the losses that are occurring short, it is just giving them more room, on more size than it should be.
(2) It will get easier with time and practice like anything else.
(3) I never seem to get rewarded for this kind of behaviour, so there's no positive reinforcement effect going on.
Negatives: (1) I know when I'm doing it, but "hope" it works out. Which oddly enough it never seems to, (point 3 in positives).
Points of Interest: (1) It was mentioned to me recently that gamblers experience adrenalin when they lose lots of money, rather than winning. Seeing as these all seem to be losses the adrenalin effect possibly enhances my innate stubbornness.
(2) It usually isn't a case of ever adding to position (except maybe just an extra 1/5). It more arises from the initial size; thus suggesting that it is because I am taking on too much risk, thereby creating the adrenalin stubbornness effect highlighted in point 1.
(3) There appears to be no specific pattern to the type of trade (e.g. mean reversion versus trend trading). I think this suggests more a sizing problem.
(4) This goes without saying, but obviously the trade isn't quite planned out as well as other trades. More specifically I would say the entry has usually originally suffered, making the risk too wide, especially given that it's likely to have quite a lot of size. This makes it a lot harder to hit out ASAP, which would be solved with a hard stop. As mentioned I always hit out eventually, just a bit wider than it should be.
Possible solutions: (1) Man the **** up and just be disciplined. You can't be a trader if you can't control risk.
(2) When trading size be sure to enter a hard stoploss. If wanting to avoid getting faked out just set it a little lower. The simple act of setting a hard stoploss concretes in mind how much is at risk, potentially making it easier to visualise etc. For example on CRMD (in review 03-10-2015) when trading the HOD rejection I could have put the stop at $7.55 (area expecting rejection from was $7.34 over/under). Remember that you can always edit the hard stop to hit out at market if you decide it's holding the break.
(3) Identify times when the adrenalin levels start creeping up. Point being avoid even getting to the level where a loss is causing the high adrenalin. This will usually occur during times of frustration, after having given back a decent chunk of open profit, during news/fast moving periods, or just after taking a sudden loss. Take a walk, get some food etc.
(4) Regularly remind self, that while it will always be an issue, focus on getting from week to week and it will get easier.
(5) ..... To be added in. Hopefully something else comes.
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