How To Make Money in Intraday Trading?

5paisa Research Team

Last Updated: 08 Apr, 2025 03:07 PM IST

How To Make Money in Intraday Trading

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ntraday trading promises quick profits, but the reality is far from easy. Many traders dive in, hoping to make a fortune, only to face unexpected challenges. 

In the past, people used to profit from price differences in exchanges, despite the high calling charges. However, it is crucial to acknowledge the inherent risk in intraday trading, as some individuals end up losing their entire account balance. So, how can you actually make money in intraday trading without falling into common traps? In this article, you can learn more about how to earn in intraday trading.
 

Things to Know Before You Start to Make Money in Intraday Trading

Intraday Trading Comes with High Risk - If you are wondering, “how to earn in intraday trading?” Experts claim that intraday trading is not appropriate for everyone since it requires traders to retain a realistic perspective. It is important to understand that intraday trading comes with a lot of risk. Emotional elements highly influence the potential to benefit from intraday trading. There are no short cuts to success when it comes to intraday trading. Therefore, it's imperative to understand this if you're looking for rapid money-making opportunities.

Discipline is Essential - Discipline separates successful traders from those who end up losing their entire capital. It’s not just about following a plan but also about maintaining self-control during unpredictable market moves. Establishing a trading rule book can help enforce discipline. Contrary to popular belief, intraday trading isn’t just about making quick trades all day long. It’s about waiting for the right opportunity. Sometimes, sitting on the sidelines and observing market movements is smarter than forcing a trade.

Follow the Market - Even seasoned professionals with sophisticated tools struggle to predict market movements accurately. Sometimes, despite all technical indicators pointing to a bull market, there could still be a decline. These factors serve as indicators but do not offer any guarantees. It is crucial to exit positions promptly if the market moves against your expectations to prevent substantial losses. Intraday trading provides higher leverage, enabling the possibility of decent returns within a single day.

Start Small - While a few successful trades might boost your confidence, it is still early to become overly aggressive. In the initial phase, avoid taking excessively large risks. Instead, concentrate on a maximum of 1-2 stocks. As you gain experience and understanding of the market, gradually increase the volume and value of your trades. Starting small allows room for mistakes and helps you become more familiar with market dynamics, ensuring you don't repeat the same errors.

Stop Loss is Mandatory - Cultivate the practice of implementing stop-loss orders regularly. A stop-loss order automatically triggers a stock's buy or sell action once it reaches a predetermined price level. Remember that stop losses are essential in most trades, particularly intraday trading. Failing to use a stop loss could result in holding positions with uncontrollable marked-to-market losses.

Entry and Exit Point - At times, traders may find themselves drawn to a specific stock; however, it's crucial to remember that profitability stems from employing well-defined strategies. In intraday trading, it is imperative to adhere steadfastly to guidelines to achieve consistent success.

Trading Strategies for Intraday Trading

There are several strategies that you can use to learn and be successful in intraday trading. Below are a few of them:

Range Trading - Day traders utilize range trading as a technique to pinpoint the buying and selling levels of stocks within a brief timeframe. This popular trading approach aids traders in identifying both oversold and overbought zones of assets, commonly referred to as resistance and support zones. By analyzing indicators, intraday traders can spot these zones and strategically buy assets during oversold or support periods while selling them during overbought or resistance periods.

Scalping - Scalping is a vital intraday trading strategy that enables traders to amplify small profits in a single day by capitalizing on minor fluctuations in stock prices. This technique potentially empowers traders to increase their profits substantially, provided they execute their exit strategy effectively.

High-Frequency Trading - This sophisticated algorithm represents a form of financial trading designed to execute multiple orders within milliseconds. Employing intricate algorithms, this trading strategy analyzes various market conditions and executes orders accordingly. This approach allows companies to swiftly place multiple orders, enhancing market liquidity and facilitating their operations.

Trading Based on News - This trading strategy involves traders utilizing multiple news sources to identify events that might impact stock prices and capitalize on them to generate profits.
 

Risk Management in Intraday Trading

Effective risk management is crucial to protect your capital and ensure long-term success in intraday trading. Here are some essential strategies:

Set a Stop-Loss for Every Trade - A stop-loss order limits potential losses by automatically selling a stock when it reaches a predetermined price. 

Position Sizing Matters - Never risk more than 1-2% of your total capital on a single trade. This approach minimizes the impact of a losing trade and keeps your portfolio safe.

Use a Favorable Risk-Reward Ratio - Aim for a risk-reward ratio of at least 1:2, meaning your potential profit should be double your potential loss. This way, even if half of your trades fail, you can still remain profitable.

Avoid Overtrading - Don’t chase every opportunity. Overtrading increases costs and exposes you to unnecessary risks. Focus on quality trades backed by solid analysis rather than volume.

Regularly Review Your Strategy - Keep a trading journal to track your trades and performance. Regular evaluations help you identify what’s working and where you need adjustments, keeping your strategy sharp and adaptive.
 

Tips to Earn Money from Intraday Trading

Here are some quick tips to follow if you want to know how to make money in intraday trading:

Start With Your Trading Rule Book

The framework for your intraday trading technique is this. Basically, it lays out all the rules and concepts that govern your intraday trading. The maximum allowable loss, the amount of cash you can afford to lose, and the preferred risk-reward ratio are all described. Your trading rule book acts as a detailed manual for choosing certain stocks, carrying out deals, and keeping track of them. The main goal is to properly abide by the regulations outlined in your trading rule book. Doing this can preserve self-control, reduce emotional effects, and raise the chances of consistent and profitable intraday trading.

Choose Highly Liquid Stocks

Liquidity is a crucial characteristic of intraday stocks, essential for enabling such trades. Intraday trading relies on swiftly buying and selling equity shares, particularly those of small and mid-cap companies, which often exhibit significant volatility driven by market fluctuations. Careful observation of cyclical variations is necessary to make informed decisions while investing. Analyzing the 52-week high and low values provides a precise indication of whether one should consider assuming long or short positions in the market.

Research Well

The primary prerequisite for selecting stocks for intraday trading is thorough research. Intraday trading is significantly impacted by various factors, such as news, announcements, and other crucial information related to the company or stock. Analyzing these factors will aid in determining which stocks are suitable for intraday trading and can guide your buying decisions.

Volatility 

Intraday traders often seek stocks with moderate to high price volatility. It is advisable to avoid stocks with market value fluctuations exceeding 3% during intraday trading to mitigate the risk of substantial losses, particularly if the stock market experiences a significant economic downturn.

Use Technical Analysis

Utilize technical analysis to recognize trends, patterns, and signals that aid decision-making. This involves employing technical indicators like moving averages, Bollinger Bands, the relative strength index (RSI), chart patterns, and candlestick analysis. By leveraging these tools, traders can gain valuable insights into market movements and make more informed trading choices.
 

Conclusion

To find suitable stocks for intraday trading, one must distinguish the prevailing market trend from the noise and capitalize on it. The best potential intraday trading stocks possess features like liquidity, volatility, and correlation. Additionally, employing the right entry and exit strategies is crucial for success.

Studying trendlines and charting price waves can be helpful in this endeavour. However, it's 
essential to remember that no trading approach always works. If the current market conditions are not favourable for implementing your strategies, conserving your funds and waiting for more favourable conditions is wise. Patience can be a valuable asset in trading.
 

Disclaimer: Investment in securities market are subject to market risks, read all the related documents carefully before investing. For detailed disclaimer please Click here.

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