To: GS_Wall Street who wrote (2376 ) 7/14/1999 5:59:00 PM From: Sir Francis Drake Respond to of 10027
Greg - yes, it is often prudent to not trade the open (or first 15 minutes). However, as you well know, trading patterns change. Speaking personally, I trade the open very, very often. And I have found it very profitable. Yes, it is more risky, but also more profitable. I did a rough risk/reward analysis and I prefer to trade the open. Often I am motivated in my trades to trade the open, because I might hold an overnight position, and I'm playing the open (sell the gap up, short it, cover, go long etc.). Again, as a daytrader, I'm taught to go flat at the end of the day, but I performed a risk/reward analysis, and decided that it pays to hold overnight (except certain obvious situations where the risk is too high because of market conditions, or stock behavior). As to the MMs - what you describe is accurate. However, that is also changing. NITE is a perfect example. They actually downplay the spread profit. The real money is to be made taking trading positions. NITE is very out in front here, but increasingly that is where the MM game is going. And as the spread is cut, and will be cut, and as ECNs become a bigger part of trading, making a living from spread will be less and less rewarding. True, volume is expanding, but again - that's not where the money is. The volume expands slower than the spread is cut. When decimal pricing kicks in, the spread will take another hit. Also, note the following: NITE is a volume leader, yet they are moving away from a reliance on spread. If the big volume guy can't make it on the spread, what hope is there for the little guy MM? Speaking from what I see as a trader, I'd say that trend is well under way. I've seen a shift in the way MMs behave even since last year. Good luck! Morgan