New to trading, advice please

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1

Hi All,

I’m new to trading and have a few questions if that’s ok. I’m pretty good with numbers so I said I’d give it a go, built a portfolio 2 weeks ago and invested 6.8k, up around 8% to 7.5k, overall I have 28 stocks (through research etc).

I’ve tried a few buy now wait for it to go up and sell but haven’t done well on these, always seem to get in at wrong time. Any tips on this?

I seem to do well when I just sit on everything, 2 weeks 8% so happy with that.

one thing I don’t get is the market volume, and also what this indicates, does it help when deciding to buy/sell.

any tips fir a new trader appreciated

Thanks in advance Dec

2

Hi Dec,

Fair play jumping into the markets — and well done on being up 8% in two weeks. That’s a strong start, but the most important thing is that you’re already spotting patterns in your own behaviour, which is half the battle in trading.

A few thoughts that might help:

  1. Short‑term “buy now, sell soon” trading is extremely hard

Most people struggle with this at the beginning because you’re basically trying to time tiny market moves. You’re competing with algorithms, news you don’t see, and traders who’ve been doing this for years. Getting in “at the wrong time” is completely normal.

If you find you’re losing more on short-term trades than you’re making, that’s a sign your natural strength might be elsewhere.

  1. Your results suggest you’re better at holding

You said you’re up 8% by just sitting on your positions — that’s actually how most people make money. Good companies tend to go up over time, but they can be unpredictable day to day.

If holding is working for you, there’s nothing wrong with leaning into that while you learn more.

  1. About market volume — what it actually means

Volume simply shows how many shares are being traded. It doesn’t tell you direction, but it tells you strength.

• High volume + price going up → strong buying interest
• High volume + price going down → strong selling interest
• Low volume → weak conviction, price can move randomly

Volume is most useful when you combine it with price action. For example:

• A breakout on high volume is more reliable
• A breakout on low volume is often a fake move

If you want to dig deeper, you can explore market volume basics or how to read candlesticks.

  1. Tips for new traders

A few things that help beginners massively:

• Don’t chase green candles — if something has already pumped, you’re usually late
• Avoid overtrading — more trades doesn’t mean more profit
• Have a plan before you buy — why you’re buying, and when you’d sell
• Start with longer-term positions while you learn the short-term stuff
• Keep your portfolio smaller — 28 stocks is a lot to track as a beginner

If you want to explore this more, you can look at trading psychology or how to build a trading str

3

Thanks for taking the time to reply m8

some good pointers in there and I’ll have a look at that book, might stay away from shorts for a bit and get used to it all.

up 9.75 now, a lot of my stocks have gone up today, ÂŁ660 in green overall

A what’s app group would be a great idea for all the novice/hobbie traders