o, you are all set to begin trading in stock markets. However, it is natural to feel apprehensive about being introduced to the world of numbers, stocks, charts and complex analysis. The stock market has for long had the image of being a chaotic and confusing place that is only for seasoned traders in the market. However, all this has changed with the times. The world of stock trading is now open to anyone who has an internet connection and the willingness to begin trading in penny stocks.
Once you have opened the trading account with the stock broking firm, the next step before trading is to inculcate self confidence and remove apprehensions about stock trading. These are the three steps towards achieving stock trading confidence.
Accept the uncertainties and condition yourself
The stock market has its own set of uncertainties. It is highly unlikely that every trading decision of yours will end in profit. There are bound to be some risks associated with stock trading. Instead of fearing these risks, it is important to accept them as a natural part of the stock trading process. It is also important to remember that risk can always be minimized by using some smart trading precautions such as a stop loss or position sizing techniques. It is important to understand your own risk bearing capacity before starting to trade i.e. the amount of risk you are comfortable with taking.
One should never step of one’s comfort zone early on in their trading experience. It is essential to understand that trading decisions should be taken rationally and not impulsively. Keeping emotions to a minimum is important. Gut feel is an important factor no doubt but one must find a balance.
Do your homework
There is undoubtedly a lot of information available on stock trading, endless expert opinion and stock trading software that can help guide you through the trading process. However, nothing can replace homework. It is important to be familiar with the trading terminology, reading trading tickers, fundamental ratio analysis such as the P/E ratio and the Dividends per share. This helps you hone your skills as a stock trader and helps you back up your trading decisions with self generated analysis which greatly helps to increase your confidence in yourself as a stock trader. This also helps you develop an intuition about stock movements which aids in taking better decisions.
Practice makes you perfect
It is true that experience is the best teacher around. When one begins to actively invest in stocks, one naturally learns all the nuances of it, learns from investment mistakes, begins to recognize patterns and trends and also gains knowledge about the reputation and reliability of the stocks of the listed companies. Experience also helps determine one’s risk taking capacity and one can eventually come out of the comfort zone to trade more and trade better. By following these steps one can greatly increase their confidence and hone their skills at stock trading.