Day trading

Day trading is a form of speculation in securities in which a trader buys and sells a financial instrument within the same trading day. This means that all positions are closed before the market closes for the trading day to avoid unmanageable risks and negative price gaps between one day's close and the next day's price at the open. Traders who trade in this capacity are generally classified as speculators. Day trading contrasts with the long-term trades underlying buy-and-hold and value investing strategies. Day trading may require fast trade execution, sometimes as fast as milli-seconds in scalping, therefore direct-access day trading software is often needed. Day trading is a strategy of buying and selling securities within the same trading day. According to FINRA, a "day trade" involves the purchase and sale (or sale and purchase) of the same security on the same day in a margin account, covering a range of securities including options. An individual is considered a "pattern day trader" if they execute four or more day trades within five business days, given these trades make up over six percent of their total trades in the margin account during that period. Pattern day traders must adhere to specific margin requirements, notably maintaining a minimum equity of $2,000 in their trading account before engaging in day trading activities. Day traders generally use leverage such as margin loans. In the United States, Regulation T permits an initial maximum leverage of 2:1, but many brokers will permit 4:1 intraday leverage as long as the leverage is reduced to 2:1 or less by the end of the trading day. In other countries margin rates of 30:1 or higher are available. In the United States, based on rules by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, people who make more than three day trades per...