When you’re day trading, volume is one of the most important metrics you can use to make decisions. This article will discuss volume and how to use it to develop a volume trading strategy. Volume doesn’t always move prices in the way you expect, so it’s essential to understand how volume interacts with prices before you start trading. We’ll also look at different volume-based strategies you can use in your trading.
What Is Volume?
Volume measures how much of a security is traded in a given period. For stocks, volume is typically measured in shares; for futures and forex, volume is measured in units of the underlying currency. Volume can be an important indicator because it can show you whether there’s interest in a particular security. If there’s a significant volume level, many buyers and sellers are interested in the security, which can lead to more volatile price movements. Low volume means there aren’t as many people trading the stock, so prices might not move as much.
Volume is the most important indicator used in price action because it is a leading indicator and does not lag – meaning that volume precedes price. When volume increases, prices will usually follow. This relationship is visible on the candlestick chart below. Notice the burst of volume that preceded the drastic move in the stock price.
As you can see, volume leads to price. When volume increases, price usually follows. This relationship is the key to understanding why volume is the most critical indicator in price action.
Trading Volume Indicator
There are two main types of volume indicators:
– tick volume
– real volume
Tick volume measures the number of transactions that have occurred in a given period. Real volume measures the actual number of shares that have been traded.
Real volume is an essential indicator because it gives you an accurate market activity measure. Tick volume can be misleading because it doesn’t consider things like limit orders and cancellations.
When you’re looking at volume, you want to see an increase in volume when the price increases. This shows that there is buying pressure in the market. Conversely, if you see an increase in volume when prices are going down, this indicates that there is pretty significant selling pressure in the market.
You can use volume to confirm price action. For example, if you see a candle with a long wick and high volume, this is a good sign that the market is about to reverse. When trading volume is high, it indicates that more traders are willing to buy or sell the security. This results in more significant price movement and increased liquidity. A higher volume also means more interest in the stock, providing more opportunities for informed trades.
By monitoring volume, traders can make informed decisions about when to enter and exit trades. Additionally, volume can be used to confirm price movements. The trend will likely continue when the volume is high and prices are rising. Conversely, if there is decreasing volume and prices are falling, the trend will likely reverse, or the price may consolidate for a while.
Volume Trading Strategies
Here are some volume trading strategies to consider adding to your trading plan.
1. Price Breakouts
One way to use volume is to look for price breakouts. A breakout is when the price of a security moves outside of a defined range. For example, if a stock trades between $50 and $60 and suddenly breaks out to $70, that’s a breakout. When volume is high during a breakout, it can indicate a genuine interest in the move and that the price is likely to continue moving in that direction. Another example is if prices are consolidating in a tight range, but volume is rising. This could signal that traders are getting ready and positioning for a breakout. Conversely, if prices are breaking out to the upside but volume is falling, this could signal that the price movement is not as strong as it appears and could soon reverse.
2. Trade Volume Spikes
The volume spike strategy is based on the idea that a stock that experiences a sudden increase in volume is more likely to continue moving in that direction. If you see volume spikes at certain price levels, it can indicate significant interest in that level, and the price will likely continue moving in that direction. You can use this information to make sure you’re buying or selling at the right time.
3. Volume Trend
The volume trend strategy looks at the overall trends in volume over time to identify whether buying or selling pressure is climbing or decreasing. This can be used to determine the general direction of the market. This involves looking for stocks that are making new highs or lows and then buying or selling when they break out. This can be very profitable, but you must be careful of false breaks.
4. Volume Profile
The volume profile strategy is based on the idea that the price of a stock is more likely to move towards areas of high volume. This can be used as “support and resistance” levels. This involves finding areas where the stock has difficulty breaking through (resistance) or tends to find support and bounce back up. These are usually good places to buy or sell.
5. Scalping
Traders use scalping when they have identified a higher volume entering the market. Scalping involves buying and selling stocks rapidly to make small profits. This can be a very profitable strategy, but it is also risky because of the fast movement it requires.
These are just a few strategies to use volume when day trading.
Summary: Volume Trading Strategies
In day trading, volume is one of the most critical metrics you need to understand. Volume is the total number of shares or contracts traded during a given period.
Learn More
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