Thursday, September 15, 2016

Day Trading Definition

Stock prices constantly fluctuate on the stock markets. A number of Speculators called day-traders try to make a living out of profits from these minor price variations. Their intention is not to hold the stocks for long nor to take delivery but to simply sell off the same day for a profit.

As a result of globalization and advent of fully automated screen-based electronic trading systems the margins have not only become wafer thin but steep market crashes on the back of global events have the potential to cause more losses to day-traders than gains

Since the price differences within a day are small, stockbrokers extend a facility called margin trading which is highly dangerous and must be totally avoided.

People engaged in such speculative activity under a respectable garb of trading in stocks have created misunderstanding in the minds of a number of citizens causing them to shy away from investing in stocks which when invested prudently and for ling periods of time is the sure vehicle to financial freedom and wealth.


A man engaged in screen-based trading in stocks


Attribution:
Image used here is an adaptation of Pictures/ Icons used here are produced by Freepik from www.flaticon.com 



Stock Exchange Definition

Stock Exchange

Stock Exchange is a marketplace where shares/ stocks, bonds and other similar financial instruments are traded. The advent of stock exchanges and listing of companies’ shares on the exchanges brought immense liquidity for the investors. Before coming into existence of stock exchanges investors were stuck with the shares and bonds, as it was very difficult for them to find and reach out to suitable buyers.

The world’s first stock exchange is supposed to be ‘The Amsterdam Stock Exchange’ established in 1602 by the Ditch East India Company, though this disputed by some (source: Wikipedia).

Engraving depicting the Amsterdam Stock Exchange, built by Hendrik de Keyser c. 1612. Artist  Claes Jansz. Visscher, Source: Wikipedia 

In India, during the manual trading days, many regional stock exchanges used to flourish, namely:
  1. Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE)
  2. Delhi Stock Exchange (DSE)
  3. Madras Stock Exchange (MSE)
  4. The Calcutta Stock Exchange (CSE)

The National Stock Exchange (NSE) was established in 1992 which for the first time provided a modern, fully automated screen-based electronic trading system, BSE and other exchanges followed suit and today BSE and NSE are the most popular stock exchanges operating in India.