Ticker&TapeA daily routine for traders
Consistent traders follow a routine. It keeps you prepared, stops impulsive trades and makes sure you check the things that matter in the same order every day. Here is a simple one built around the platform.
Before the open
Give yourself 20 to 30 minutes before the 9:30 a.m. New York open.
- Market direction: check the status on the Breadth page. It decides whether you are looking to buy, hold or protect cash.
- Macro calendar: any CPI, jobs or Fed event today? Note the time on the Macro page.
- Earnings: do any of your stocks or watchlist names report today or after the close? Check the earnings calendar.
- Overnight movers: which stocks gapped up or down in pre-market, and why?
- The Daily Tape: read the Daily report on the Research page for a summary of the market and stocks near buy points.
- Plan: list the two or three stocks you would buy today, with pivot, stop and share count.
During the session
The goal is to act on your plan, not to watch every tick. Set alerts at pivots and stop levels so the platform tells you when something happens.
When a stock clears its pivot, check the volume. A breakout running well above average volume (see volume on breakouts) is worth acting on; one on light volume deserves caution. Buy within the buy zone, never more than 5% above the pivot, and enter the stop right away. If a stock hits its stop, sell. No debate.
After the close
Spend 20 to 30 minutes after 4:00 p.m. reviewing the day.
- How did the indexes close, and on higher or lower volume? Was it a distribution day?
- How did your stocks act? Note anything unusual in your journal.
- Update the watchlist: remove broken setups, add stocks from Ideas that are forming tight bases.
- Move stops if your rules call for it, and set alerts for tomorrow.
Keep it short and repeatable
A routine you can follow every day beats a perfect one you skip. If you have a job and can't watch the market, do the before-open and after-close parts and rely on alerts and stop orders during the day. Many successful traders work exactly that way.
Common mistakes
- Starting the day by looking at individual stocks before checking market direction.
- Buying on impulse during the session without a plan made beforehand.
- Forgetting an earnings report or a Fed decision that was on the calendar.
- Skipping the after-close review when the day went badly.
Key points
- Before the open: market direction, macro calendar, earnings, movers, Daily Tape and a written plan.
- During the session: use alerts, demand volume on breakouts and respect stops.
- After the close: review the indexes and your stocks, update the watchlist and set tomorrow's alerts.
Check what you learned
Answer at least 2 of 3 correctly to complete the lesson.
1. Why is market direction the first thing to check before the open?
Most stocks follow the market, so the market status frames every other decision of the day.
2. During the session, a stock on your plan clears its pivot on light volume. What does the routine suggest?
Check volume when a stock clears its pivot. Buy only within the buy zone and enter the stop right away.
3. You have a full-time job and cannot watch the market during the day. What does the lesson recommend?
A routine you can follow every day beats a perfect one you skip. Many successful traders work exactly that way.
Read the Daily Tape → Try it on Ticker&Tape