UK small caps can offer private investors an edge, with less institutional competition and greater scope for overlooked opportunities. Michael Taylor explains how disciplined stock selection, risk management and a consistent process can help tilt the odds in investors’ favour. The game is rigged. It always has been. But maybe not in the way you […]
Michael Taylor continues his bear market series by focusing on process over prediction, showing why waiting for confirmation beats trying to call the bottom. He also explores the mental discipline needed to endure downturns and stay positioned for the eventual recovery. This is the second article of a two-part series. If you’ve not read the […]
Michael Taylor explores some of the most dangerous phrases investors and traders can fall into, and why they often lead to costly mistakes. Drawing on past market bubbles and trading discipline, he highlights the psychological traps that continue to trip up market participants. It’s often said there are four dangerous words in investing. Traders, meanwhile, […]
Michael Taylor explores the hidden problem with demo trading – not the lack of skill, but the absence of emotion. He explains why finding the right balance of risk is essential for developing discipline, consistency and long-term trading success. Demo accounts are the source of contention amongst traders. Some say they are a way to […]
As the year draws to a close, Michael Taylor reflects on the importance of using the Christmas break to review trading performance, habits and discipline. He then shows how careful analysis and effective use of auctions can create opportunities when markets react to unexpected news. Another year has passed and we move into the second […]
Most traders focus on when to buy or sell – but how your trade is executed can make or break your results. Michael Taylor explains the key differences between SETS and SETSqx, and how understanding them can save you costly mistakes. Most new traders think that buying and selling involves clicking a few buttons. They’re […]
This final instalment of Michael Taylor’s position sizing series dives into scaling in, scaling out, and keeping emotions in check. He rounds things off with a simple checklist to help you trade smarter and stay in the game longer. This is the final part if my four-part series on position sizing. If you’ve not read […]
Knowing the rules is one thing – applying them in live trades is another. In Part III of his position sizing series, Michael Taylor explains the spreadsheets, numbers, and mindset you need to size positions like a pro. This is part 3 of my multi-series on position sizing. If you’ve not already, then I’d suggest […]
In part two of his position sizing series, Michael Taylor moves beyond the basics and dives into more advanced techniques that separate disciplined traders from the rest. From adjusting risk based on volatility and conviction to avoiding common pitfalls, he shows how smart sizing can protect your capital, compound your edge, and keep you in […]
In part two of his trading hacks series, Michael dives deeper into the mindset shifts and tactics that can truly transform your trading game. This is the second article in my two-part series ‘How to hack your trading’ – you can read the first part here where I cover the first three points. We left […]
Michael looks at small but productive ways for traders to improve P&L with the first of this two-part checklist and walkthrough. Let’s get one thing straight… There are no shortcuts in trading. I wish there was because it would’ve saved me a lot of time and money. But sadly, there is no way to quick […]
In this article Michael Taylor looks at the trading impact of rumours, overloads and spikes from Social Media. What to be aware of and how to navigate them to your advantage. The influence of social media platforms on various aspects of our lives is undeniable. One area where this impact has been particularly pronounced is […]
Michael Taylor looks at one of the US’s trading greats Mark Minervini and what we can learn from his strategies. I wrote a few weeks ago about what traders can learn from Warren Buffett. This week I’ll take a look at one of the trading greats: Mark Minervini. Who is Mark Minervini? Mark Minervini is […]
Trader Michael Taylor looks at indices and the macroeconomic impacts on the market. It’s been another volatile few weeks in the market. The game has now changed, and players must adapt or see their money taken from them. Over the last ten years, private investors could get away without bothering themselves too much about macroeconomics. […]
A big thank you for the very helpful comments left for me following my last blog. It is really encouraging to read members’ experiences, advice and opinions. Also, it’s good to know someone is reading the blog! Thanks to Frank for his good book recommendations. I have ordered two of the books to hopefully start […]
I’m back at school and in my last year, studying for my A levels. It has been great having time during the summer break to read some new books. What I’ve been reading Tom Dorsey’s – Point & Figure Charting I started with a book from Tom Dorsey, kindly recommended to me by Michael Taylor […]
William, our youngest SharePad subscriber, is relatively new to the world of investing and trading. He has kindly offered to share his experiences so far, and is keen to learn more.
The breakout retest is a great way of trading a breakout if you missed the initial rally. We looked at how traders should look to play these and the importance of a well-timed buy.
Everyone likes a turnaround. This is because people like the idea of buying at the bottom and reaping the rewards.
However, trading turnarounds can take a lot of time. Businesses are often slow to change and it is not a quick process.
This article will show you how to trade some potential turnaround stocks and give you some pointers to look at next time you are considering trading a turnaround.
One of the effects on Coronavirus has been to crash the entire stock market only to see it recover strongly. However, the impact of Coronavirus for the private investor and retail trader has been huge. Social media has contributed to market inefficiency It is a widely held view that the internet has created a more […]
Unless you’re an Instagram trader, set with a laptop by the pool and a Lamborghini in the background, everybody goes through rough patches in trading. It is a fact. So much of this business is uncertain, and ironically people want to get into trading for the ‘freedom’ it provides. But free we are not, and […]
One of the questions I’m frequently asked is how I structure my day. Time is a trader’s most important currency because sometimes it can be the first person eats, the second person goes hungry. Being alert and organised is the key to performing well. My day starts early compared to most at 04:45. Before I […]
We have covered many aspects of trading in previous articles, such as Why You Should Be Using R, Exit Strategies, and How To Avoid Blowing Your Account, and having had conversations with recent traders it is clear that knowing your market in what you trade is a necessary criterion. This article will introduce new traders […]
In this article, I’ll show how you to set up your news feed in order to get the best out of your subscription. First of all, we need to click “News” at the top of our ShareScope across the main toolbar. This brings up the raw RNS feed that we need to filter and make […]
A combination of market volatility and being locked in during lockdown has led to many turning their eye to getting involved in the stock market. The failure rate for traders is estimated to be around 90%, and many of the spread bet firms report that 70%+ of clients lose (the real figure I believe is […]
The market is moving with extreme volatility in recent weeks. This offers traders many opportunities to prosper and profit, but volatility is a double-edged sword. It can be your best friend one day and your worst enemy the next. Many traders love volatility when the trade is going in their favour, but struggle to deal […]
R is a component in trading that we use to define risk. It is a crucial aspect of trading systems and by thinking in terms of R we can improve our results. In this article I will introduce to you the concept of R and how to use it for your own trading. It is […]
“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” Whether or not you agree with Jane Austen’s opening line in Pride and Prejudice, by the end of this article I hope you will agree with my version. “It is a truth […]
In April 2017, I had a real nightmare. I had been trading full time on the market for four months and had had enormous success buying bubbley story stocks and riding them upwards. I was convinced that I knew what I was doing. I made all the classic mistakes of complacency, which turned into denial […]
“Nature versus nurture” has been a debate that has raged for hundreds of years. Sir Francis Galton (pictured above), who was a Victorian era statistician and psychologist (amongst investor, explorer, and other disciplines) coined the phrase in his book Hereditary Genius. He had been influenced by Charles Darwin’s Origin of the Species, and so in […]
Cups and handles, and bowls, have been very popular with trend traders. These patterns can be powerful as they show sentiment of the stock gradually changing and buyers slowly overpowering suppliers of the stock. This is a classic cup and handle pattern. The cup is the deeper bowl, along with a handle which is the […]
Support and resistance are two common concepts when it comes to technical analysis. They are the most basic but also the most important points when plotting levels on a chart. Technical analysis is a self-fulfilling prophecy as many traders and investors look at the same levels on charts, and therefore support becomes support because people […]
We briefly touched on technical analysis in my previous article ‘The Four Stages of a Stock’, and in this article I want to introduce some simple technical analysis components, which, if understood, can provide a lot of clarity on price action in the market. Candlesticks are said to have been invented by a Japanese rice […]
