Trading

Trading is the short-term buying and selling of stocks, commodities, options, cryptocurrencies, and other securities. Trading has different objectives and strategies than long-term investing. Traders use technical analysis, buy and sell on margin, and look to capture price inefficiencies.
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subcategory placeholder Crypto & Foreign Exchange
Active trading in foreign exchange (“forex”) has been around for decades, while cryptocurrencies are relative newcomers. Both track the relative value of currencies or cryptocurrencies: dollars, euro, yen, and pounds as well as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and Dogecoin.
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subcategory placeholder Futures & Margin Trading
Futures contracts allow traders and investors to speculate on the direction of—and hedge underlying positions in—stock indexes, interest rates, commodities, precious metals, and more.
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subcategory placeholder Options Trading
Options are derivative contracts that give the buyer the right to buy or sell a security at a specific price. Options can be flexible and capital efficient. But understanding the math behind them, plus the lingo, strategies, and risk parameters, requires some training.
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subcategory placeholder Technical Analysis
Is there predictive power in price and volume data? Technical analysts watch the charts, look for patterns, and use a blend of art and science to try to optimize the timing and price levels for buy and sell orders.
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subcategory placeholder Trading Strategy
Active trading requires some specialized skill—and a special mindset. Learn how to manage capital and trading positions, as well as emotions and biases.
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Trading Encyclopedia Articles