What is the Timing for Intraday Trading? (2024)

Intraday trading is when a trader buys and sells securities on the same day. Traders aim to earn quick profits while minimising the risk of keeping money locked in for a long period through this trading strategy.

Often, people are unaware of the most appropriate intraday trading time; they believe it would be beneficial to limit their day trading to a few hours instead of buying and selling stocks throughout the day. Financial experts have observed that limiting intraday trading to strategically chosen hours yields great benefits.

What is the timing for intraday trading?

As mentioned, the opening and closing of positions in intraday trading happen on the same day. There are instances when a trader does not manage to close his/her position on the same day. If an intraday position does not close on the same day in a rolling statement, it gets converted to compulsory delivery. One can place and close intraday trade orders from 9.15 am to 3.10 pm on a trading day.

While, technically, the intraday trading closing time is 3.30 pm, traders usually do not wait that long; otherwise, they may face massive losses due to unfavourable market movements. Suppose a trader places an intraday order; in this case, the broker will wait until 3.15 pm for the order to get closed. However, if it remains open, the broker’s risk management system will close his/her open positions at the prevalent market price.

Intraday trading time for commodities

In India, the commodity market opens at 9 am and closes at 11.30 pm. The market is closed on Saturdays and Sundays, and on holidays declared by the exchange in advance.

Commodity traders can choose the timing of intraday trading at their convenience. However, they must focus on a few commodities because every commodity has unique influencing factors.

Traders must keep track of domestic and international factors that influence the price of these commodities. Certain commodities share both positive and negative correlations with various assets. For example, gold has a negative correlation with the US Dollar, i.e., when the price of gold increases, the value of the US Dollar declines.

Furthermore, traders of agricultural commodities must be aware of information related to weather forecasts.

​Additional Read: Difference Between Intraday and Positional Trading

Optimal time frames for Intraday trading success

Intraday traders need to find an ideal time for carrying out trades. Many experts state that the time frame between 9.30 am and 10.30 am is the best for intraday trading. Trading during these hours is considered beneficial.

Intraday traders should avoid trading for the entire day because they might not be able to get sufficient rewards. Experienced traders have frequently lost money or received lowerreturns after trading all day long.

The first one-two hour after the stock market opens is the ideal time for intraday trading. While experienced traders can start intraday trading at 9.15 am, beginners should wait until 9.30 am. It is because, during the first fifteen minutes, stock prices get affected by the previous day’s news.

Best candlestick charts for intraday trading

Candlestick charts are visual representations of trading data within specific time frames. These charts utilise red and green bars with two lines at either end called candlesticks. Candlestick patterns help traders visualise market sentiments and trends.

The '5-minute Candlestick chart' and 15-minuteCandlestick chart' are common intraday candlestick patterns. Candlesticks have four points, commonly known as ‘open high low close’ (OHLC). Traders can check the OHLC for the previous 5 minutes in the ‘5 minutes Candlestick chart’. Many people consider this an ideal strategy for intraday trading as it indicates short-term market volatility.

Additional read: What is fear and greed index

Intraday trading square off time

All open positions in intraday trading must be squared offby 3:20 pm. If it is an automatic square-off, there will be a charge of Rs. 50 + GST per position. The experts advise planning the square-off for open positions in advance.

How to start trading in India?

To start trading in India, people must create aDemat and trading accountwith a Depository Participant (DP). A bank account, a Demat account and a trading account are necessary for trading with stocks and other securities.

First, an individual opens an account in the trading platform of their choice. Next, he/she needs to link a bank account and a Demat account to the platform to receive/send money and securities, respectively.

Conclusion

A Demat account is where stocks remain stored. A trading account is mandatory because one needs it to place buy/sell orders with the stock exchange. Traders buy and sell stocks on the same day in intraday trading.While knowing the correct details of intraday trading time is a must, traders should take measures such as stop-losses to protect their capital. It is important to note that day trading in a volatile market is generally a bad idea. The ideal time for intraday trading is when one can predict the market's direction and momentum.

What is the Timing for Intraday Trading? (2024)

FAQs

What is the Timing for Intraday Trading? ›

As intraday trading involves settling trades on the same day, its timing is the same as that of the stock market, i.e., from 9:15 am to 3:30 pm (Monday to Friday), barring Saturdays, Sundays and other designated market holidays.

Which time zone is best for intraday trading? ›

Much research has suggested that the best time frame for intraday trading is from 9:30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. but for the safer side you should start after 10 am as the initial volatility has subsided, this timeframe presents the ideal opportunity for placing intraday transactions and intraday closing.

What is the 11am rule in trading? ›

It is not a hard and fast rule, but rather a guideline that has been observed by many traders over the years. The logic behind this rule is that if the market has not reversed by 11 am EST, it is less likely to experience a significant trend reversal during the remainder of the trading day.

What is the 3.30 strategy in trading? ›

3.30 strategy in option trading is a popular approach used by traders to take advantage of market volatility . It involves buying an option contract at 3:30 pm , which is the last 30 minutes of the trading day , and selling it at the opening of the next trading day .

What time does day trading start and end? ›

It's certainly a simple question, but one with more answers than you'd think. The regular trading hours for the U.S. stock market, which includes the Nasdaq Stock Market (Nasdaq) and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), are 9:30 am to 4 pm, except on stock market holidays.

Which timeframe is best for intraday? ›

Many experts state that the time frame between 9.30 am and 10.30 am is the best for intraday trading. Trading during these hours is considered beneficial. Intraday traders should avoid trading for the entire day because they might not be able to get sufficient rewards.

What is the 10 am rule in stock trading? ›

Some traders follow something called the "10 a.m. rule." The stock market opens for trading at 9:30 a.m., and the time between 9:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. often has significant trading volume. Traders that follow the 10 a.m. rule think a stock's price trajectory is relatively set for the day by the end of that half-hour.

What is the 3-5-7 rule in trading? ›

A risk management principle known as the “3-5-7” rule in trading advises diversifying one's financial holdings to reduce risk. The 3% rule states that you should never risk more than 3% of your whole trading capital on a single deal.

What is the 15 minute rule in trading? ›

A buy signal is given when price exceeds the high of the 15 minute range after an up gap. A sell signal is given when price moves below the low of the 15 minute range after a down gap. It's a simple technique that works like a charm in many cases.

What is the best time of day to day trade? ›

The opening period (9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time) is often one of the best hours of the day for day trading, offering the biggest moves in the shortest amount of time. A lot of professional day traders stop trading around 11:30 a.m. because that is when volatility and volume tend to taper off.

What is the 5 3 1 rule in trading? ›

The 5-3-1 strategy is especially helpful for new traders who may be overwhelmed by the dozens of currency pairs available and the 24-7 nature of the market. The numbers five, three, and one stand for: Five currency pairs to learn and trade. Three strategies to become an expert on and use with your trades.

What is the 5 minute trading strategy? ›

The 5-Minute strategy is created to aid sellers and buyers engage in back tracking and spend some time in the location with the appearance of prices proceed in a latest route. The system depends upon exponential moving averages and the MACD forex trading indicators.

What time chart do day traders use? ›

A day trader could trade off of 15-minute charts, use 60-minute charts to define the primary trend and a five-minute chart (or even a tick chart) to define the short-term trend.

How much money do day traders with $10,000 accounts make per day on average? ›

With a $10,000 account, a good day might bring in a five percent gain, which is $500. However, day traders also need to consider fixed costs such as commissions charged by brokers. These commissions can eat into profits, and day traders need to earn enough to overcome these fees [2].

What is the number one rule of trading? ›

Rule 1: Always Use a Trading Plan

You need a trading plan because it can assist you with making coherent trading decisions and define the boundaries of your optimal trade.

What is the best time zone for trading? ›

The U.S./London markets overlap (8 a.m. to noon EST) has the heaviest volume of trading and is best for trading opportunities. The Sydney/Tokyo markets overlap (2 a.m. to 4 a.m.) is not as volatile as the U.S./London overlap, but it still offers opportunities.

What time should I hold intraday trading? ›

Hence, the timing for intraday trading is from 9.15 am to 3.30 pm on a daily basis in the Indian markets. To understand at what time intraday trading starts, you must be clear that intraday orders cannot be placed in the pre-market session.

What is the best time to day trade? ›

The opening period (9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time) is often one of the best hours of the day for day trading, offering the biggest moves in the shortest amount of time. A lot of professional day traders stop trading around 11:30 a.m. because that is when volatility and volume tend to taper off.

Which time frame is best for option trading? ›

Ans: The appropriate time frame for options trading depends on your purpose and research of the trade. However, a range of 30-90 days can be a good time frame for most trades.

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