How to trade shares online: 6 mistakes to avoid

Trading can be an exciting and potentially rewarding venture. However, the markets are a dynamic and ever-changing landscape.

While trading offers potentially promising opportunities, it also carries risks. If you’re not careful, you may end up making common mistakes that may negatively impact your trading journey.

6 mistakes to avoid while trading online

We’ve listed out six common trading mistakes that you should take note of – be it for shares, trading stocks, or other financial instruments – so you can navigate the markets with confidence.

1. Not conducting trading analysis and research

One of the common mistakes that some traders make is diving into the market without conducting proper research and analysis.

Relying solely on tips from friends or social media can lead to impulsive decisions and unnecessary risks.

If you’re new to trading, it is crucial to adopt a disciplined approach by researching companies, understanding market trends, and conducting both fundamental and technical analysis when trading shares.

By using a combination of fundamental and technical analysis, you can make more well-informed trading decisions that take market sentiment and a company's financial health into consideration.

Fundamental analysis involves examining a company's financial health, industry position, and overall growth potential.

It includes evaluating financial statements, earnings per share (EPS), price-to-earnings (P/E) ratios, dividend yield, and other key components. This information provides valuable insights into a company's value and long-term growth prospects.

Conversely, technical analysis makes use of historical price data to predict future price movements.

Technical analysts use various types of charts such as line charts, bar charts, and candlestick charts, to represent a stock's price history over different time frames.

In addition, Moving Averages, support and resistance levels, and other types of technical indicators aid in identifying trends, and potential entry or exit points.

2. Not setting clear trading goals and strategies

Without well-defined goals and strategies, you may find yourself lost in the volatility of the market when trading, especially if you’re a newbie trader.

Establishing clear trading objectives can guide your actions and prevent emotional decision-making.

Be sure to determine your risk tolerance, set profit targets, and devise exit strategies for both winning and losing trades. Having a plan in place will keep you focused and disciplined during challenging times.

One effective strategy is to implement a stop-loss order, which is a predetermined price level at which you will sell stock to limit your losses.

Another strategy is to use a take-profit order, which automatically sells a stock when it reaches your target price, hence securing your gains.

Setting these parameters ahead of time can help you avoid making impulsive decisions during short-term market fluctuations.

You can also consider diversifying your portfolio to spread risk across various assets and industries. Diversification could help protect your trading from adverse market conditions and mitigate potential losses.

3. Overtrading and chasing quick profits

In the pursuit of quick gains, some traders may fall into the trap of overtrading. Frequent buying and selling can rack up substantial transaction costs and increase the likelihood of making poor decisions.

To avoid making the same mistake, do not chase hot tips or let the fear of missing out (FOMO) take over.

Keep track of all your orders. Stick to your research-backed strategies. Successful trading is a marathon, not a sprint.

Remember that overtrading can lead to emotional exhaustion and burnout. Constantly monitoring the market and executing trades can take a toll on your mental and emotional well-being.

So give yourself time to recharge and avoid making hasty decisions out of frustration or fatigue.

4. Not adopting risk management techniques

Effective risk management is a cornerstone of successful trading. Failing to set stop-loss orders or ignoring risk-to-reward ratios can expose you to significant losses.

Preserve your capital by employing risk management techniques such as position sizing, diversification, and stop-loss orders.

To achieve your long-term trading goals, understand and accept that losses are part of trading. Using any one of these strategies will help you:

Try position sizing

This involves determining the amount of capital to allocate to each trade based on your risk tolerance and the trade's potential reward.

It ensures that you’re not betting too much on a single trade, and reduces the impact of potential losses on your overall portfolio.

Have a diversification risk management strategy

By spreading your trading across various assets, sectors, and geographic regions, you can reduce the impact of a single stock's poor performance on your entire portfolio.

Place stop-loss orders

A stop-loss order automatically sells a stock when it reaches a predetermined price level. This prevents you from holding onto a losing position in the hope that it will rebound, which may lead to larger losses.

Look beyond your emotional bias

Emotions have no place in objective decision-making, yet they often influence traders' choices. For example, fear and greed can lead to impulsive actions, such as panic selling during market downturns or holding onto losing positions for too long in the hope of a rebound.

Hence, mastering emotional control is vital for staying rational and sticking to your trading plan, even in challenging situations.

To overcome emotional bias, practice mindfulness and self-awareness. Recognise your emotional triggers and take a step back when you feel overwhelmed or tempted to make impulsive decisions.

Keep a trading journal to analyse your past trades and understand your emotional responses to different market scenarios. Reflecting on your successes and mistakes can help you learn from experience and develop better decision-making abilities.

5. Failing to adapt to market trends

The markets are continuously evolving, driven by various economic, geopolitical, and technological factors.

Traders who resist adapting to changing market trends may miss out on significant opportunities or, worse, suffer heavy losses.

So stay informed about market developments by regularly reading the financial news, following industry experts, and participating in webinars or workshops.

Understanding the macroeconomic environment and global events can provide valuable insights into potential market shifts.

Also, try to be flexible enough to adjust your strategies accordingly during times of high market volatility, for instance. Sometimes, you may want to adopt a more conservative approach or temporarily reduce position sizes to protect your capital.

6. Lack of continuous learning

Since the stock market is a dynamic ecosystem, staying stagnant in your knowledge can be detrimental.

Continuously educating yourself about trading strategies, market indicators, and global trends will empower you to make more informed decisions.

Participate in webinars, follow financial news, and seek insights from seasoned traders to expand your expertise.

You can also attend educational seminars, read books written by successful traders, or participate in online courses related to stock trading.

Engaging with other traders in forums or networking events could also expose you to different perspectives and approaches.

Take note of your learning journey in a trading journal to track your progress and identify areas for improvement.

The more you invest in your education, the better equipped you'll be to navigate the complexities of trading.

What to avoid in a nutshell

No one said it was easy to trade shares online. Trading shares can be both thrilling and lucrative, but it requires careful planning, discipline, and a commitment to learning from mistakes.

By avoiding these six common trading mistakes and adopting a prudent and informed approach, you can minimise your risks and enhance your chances of achieving success in trading.

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When considering "CFDs" for trading and price predictions, remember that trading CFDs involves a significant degree of risk and could result in capital loss. Past performance is not indicative of any future results. This information is provided for informative purposes only and should not be construed to be investment advice."