How to make money with day trade in the stock market?
Is this promise real or fake?
From time to time, people on social media boast about making big profits from bold, same-day stock trades made purely for speculation.
They often say they achieved this by becoming day traders in the stock market.
What could sound better than picking a few trending stocks, waiting a short while, and walking away with over $100,000? It sounds simple — almost too easy.
Years ago, active trading was something only employees at large financial firms, brokerages, or trading houses could do.
But with online trading platforms and instant news updates, the playing field — or better yet, the trading field — has been leveled.
Thanks to platforms like Robinhood, TD Ameritrade, and Charles Schwab offering zero-commission trades and user-friendly interfaces, everyday investors now have easier access to professional-style trading.
Day trading can become a full-time career — but for beginners without a solid plan, it can be risky.
Even seasoned traders can face setbacks and lose money.
What is day trading?
If you’ve ever opened and closed a trade within the same day, you’ve already done some form of day trading.
Day trading involves buying and selling stocks on the same trading day, without holding positions overnight.
While many day traders sometimes use strategies like swing trading, most of their trades start and finish within the same day.
Technical analysis plays a key role in day trading, as traders aim to predict price movements within minutes — or even seconds.
At its core, investing still follows the same principle: buy low, sell high.
Day traders use technical indicators not just to find entry and exit points, but also to time the highs and lows.
Strategies like momentum trading or “gap and go” allow traders to act quickly — sometimes within seconds.
What’s the difference between day trading and value investing?
As mentioned earlier, day trading and value investing follow different timelines. In day trading, everything happens within a day. With value investing, it may take months or even years to see a return.
Another key difference lies in the time frame each approach focuses on.
Day traders rely heavily on technical data and charts to anticipate very short-term price movements — often within seconds or minutes. Value investors, on the other hand, study market trends and consumer behavior to forecast long-term performance.
What do you need to be a good day trader?
If you’re thinking about becoming a day trader, there are several things to keep in mind. But here are three essentials:
Keep learning
Stay informed. Know the stocks you’re trading. Keep up with the broader market, financial news, and the companies you’re interested in. Use reliable news sources to guide your research.
Start small
When you’re just starting out, focus on one or two stocks at a time. Fewer stocks are easier to monitor, and it’s simpler to spot good opportunities.
Trading fractional shares has become more common recently, allowing you to invest smaller amounts.
Be realistic about profits
A strategy doesn’t need to work every time to be successful.
Even experienced, profitable traders often only win 50% to 60% of the time — but their winning trades are typically more profitable than their losses.
Have a clear plan for entering and exiting trades. And always limit how much of your account you risk on each trade.
