Can You Make 1 Percent a Day Trading? (How Much Can You Make Per Day?) - [Daily 1 % profit] (2024)

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Last Updated on 20 April, 2023 by Samuelsson

When you’re new to the financial markets it may be hard to keep your expectations at a realistic level. And considering that it’s not strange how many.

So, can You Make 1 Percent a Day Trading?

No, you cannot make 1 percent a day day trading, due to two reasons. Firstly, 1 percent a day would quickly amass into huge returns that simply aren’t attainable. Secondly, your returns won’t be distributed evenly across all days. Instead, you’ll experience both winning and losing days.

This might come as a disappointment if you had anticipated that such returns indeed were possible.

However, things aren’t as bad as they look. Let’s discover why!

The Reality Behind Making 1 Percent a Day Trading

Before discussing the topic further, let’s just see what 1 percent per day would mean in terms of long term returns.

If we manage to get 1 percent a day for one month, we would be up 34% for the whole month, provided that we reinvest the profits of each day and let the profits compound.

On a yearly basis, the same rate of return would result in a massive 1100% return, provided that the market is open for about 250 days.

There is no way that a trader with any sensible risk-taking can achieve returns of these kinds on a consistent basis.

Of course, there will always be exceptions. Some very few lucky individuals who take on too much risk will indeed end up with some massive returns for a while. However, if they just continue for long enough, there will come a time when their excessive risk-taking results in a loss great enough to make them lose all or most of their account balance.

Remember, trading is a marathon in which you cannot run without your capital. Thus, you should always put capital preservation as the top priority!

How Much Can You Make a Day As a Trader?

Having established that one percent per day isn’t an attainable goal, we wanted to touch on what is reasonable to expect.

The best way of approaching the question is to look at what returns the market has provided historically. And since most traders, unfortunately, won’t succeed to beat the market long term, we might start off by having a look at the yearly returns of the S&P-500.

Can You Make 1 Percent a Day Trading? (How Much Can You Make Per Day?) - [Daily 1 % profit] (2)

As you see in the image above, there have been some quite outstanding years with returns of over 40%, while some other years have performed much worse with returns of below -40%.

Let’s now assume that we get one of those best performing years, where the market made more than 40%. For the sake of simplicity, let’s assume that the market made 50% in one year.

If we were to translate that into monthly returns, assuming that compounding is in play, we’d need around 3,5% in monthly returns to get a 50% annual return.

And if we were to translate that into daily returns, we’d need to make around 0.15% per day, provided that one month has 22 trading days.

So, in order to achieve the kinds of returns that the stock market only manages to achieve a few times each century, we’d have to make around 0.15% per day. This renders the belief that we could make 7 times that, which is around 1 percent, very unrealistic.

Can you expect to make 0.15% per day?

Achieving an annual return of 50% is something most people won’t be able to do long term. Of course, everybody will have their outstanding years with high returns, but across several years, it’s hard to achieve these kinds of returns consistently.

Of course, with the right type of trading, like algorithmic trading, returns like these can be accomplished. However, with typical swing trading, provided that you don’t risk too much, you should be happy getting anything from 15-30 percent on average.

So let’s now assume that you can make these 0.15% a day. Does that mean that your account will grow by that amount each and every day?

No, unfortunately, that’s not the case. Returns vary a lot, and it’s first when some time has passed that you may begin to figure out where your average return is going to end. Many times the profits you make come in big chunks during very short time periods. It’s not uncommon to have most of your profits made during as little as two or three months of the year.

Thus, making 0.15% per day on a consistent basis is not something you should strive for. It simply isn’t possible to achieve.

How to Maximize Your Chances of Ending the Year With a Positive Return

So now that you know that it’s impossible to achieve positive results on a daily basis, we wanted to instead look closer at how you could go about to maximize your chances of making money consistently on a yearly basis. After all, most countries charge taxes based on yearly income, which helps to make yearly returns what counts the most.

Here are some tips that we hope you’ll find useful:

Trade many strategies

Despite what many new traders believe, there is nothing such as a perfect trading strategy that will never fail. All trading strategies to fail eventually, and as such, it’s good if you spread your risk across several trading strategies.

In addition, if you base your trading on strategies with varying logics, they will be less likely to have their drawdowns at the same time. This means that you’ll get more evenly distributed returns, and even may increase the position size to achieve higher returns.

If you’re interested in taking your trading to the next level and trade as many as 100 trading strategies at the same time, we recommend that you look into algorithmic trading. That’s the kind of trading we spend most of our time on ourselves and believe that you should too!

Diversify

This tip might not have that much to do with trading, but we thought it might suit well to include it anyway.

If you’re holding a portfolio of stocks, it pays well to diversify across at least a few stocks, preferably in different market sectors. That way you won’t suffer as hard if one of the stocks in your portfolio has a hard time one year. The losses simply will be compensated by other stocks that perform better.

One thing to keep in mind here is that while diversification is important, you may in fact come to a stage where your portfolio starts to resemble an index fund, to some degree. While this could mean better stability, it also has the impact of making it very hard to beat the market. In effect, you’re basically building a mini index fund yourself!

Related reading: Is It Possible to Day-Trade Successfully?

Conclusion

Making 1% a day in the markets, unfortunately, isn’t a realistic goal. That’s not too strange, considering that returns of that kind easily would add up to yearly returns of 1000% or more.

A more realistic view of what a high performing trader might make per day on average, is somewhere around 0.15% a day. On a yearly basis, this adds up to over 50% which in itself is an excellent return! You’ll be doubling your trading account in less than 2 years, and over longer periods of time, it will quickly add up to even more impressive returns.

Can You Make 1 Percent a Day Trading? (How Much Can You Make Per Day?) - [Daily 1 % profit] (2024)

FAQs

Can You Make 1 Percent a Day Trading? (How Much Can You Make Per Day?) - [Daily 1 % profit]? ›

No, you cannot make 1 percent a day day trading, due to two reasons. Firstly, 1 percent a day would quickly amass into huge returns that simply aren't attainable. Secondly, your returns won't be distributed evenly across all days. Instead, you'll experience both winning and losing days.

What is the 1% per day trading strategy? ›

The 1% rule for day traders limits the risk on any given trade to no more than 1% of a trader's total account value. Traders can risk 1% of their account by trading either large positions with tight stop-losses or small positions with stop-losses placed far away from the entry price.

What is the 1% per day return? ›

The 1 percent a day trading rule represents a trading strategy where traders set risk to 1 percent of traders accounts value in a single trade. In this way, the trader can keep the maximum drawdown low.

How much can an average day trader make a day? ›

Average Salary for a Day Trader

Day Traders in America make an average salary of $116,895 per year or $56 per hour.

Can you make $1000 per day on trading? ›

Intraday trading provides you with more leverage, which gives you decent returns in a day. If your question is how to earn 1000 Rs per day from the sharemarket, intraday trading might be the best option for you. Feeling a sense of contentment will take you a long way as an intraday trader.

Can you make $200 per day in day trading? ›

A common approach for new day traders is to start with a goal of $200 per day and work up to $800-$1000 over time. Small winners are better than home runs because it forces you to stay on your plan and use discipline. Sure, you'll hit a big winner every now and then, but consistency is the real key to day trading.

How much do the top 1 of day traders make? ›

Day Trader Salary
Annual SalaryMonthly Pay
Top Earners$132,500$11,041
75th Percentile$96,500$8,041
Average$76,989$6,415
25th Percentile$34,000$2,833

How much is 1% every day for a year? ›

This is why small choices don't make much of a difference at the time, but add up over the long-term. Zappos wrote this urging employees to improve 1% each day and become 37 times better by the end of the year. ... This is also how we generally learn to do anything in life. 1% a day = 37X a year.

How much is $5 a day for 1 year? ›

How to grow $5 a day into six figures. Five dollars a day amounts to about $150 per month or $1,825 per year.

What is a good daily return on stocks? ›

A frequently quoted day trader average return rate is 10 percent, but recall that the failure rate is about 95 percent. Moreover, as NYU's 93 years of stock market return data illustrates, the average rate of return for the stock market historically has been 9.8 percent.

Can you make a living from day trading? ›

While some can make a living trading stocks, the majority of day traders lose money over the long term. Education is critical to being a successful trader. You should also develop a trading strategy and stick to it.

How many hours a day do day traders work? ›

Most independent day traders have short days, working two to five hours per day. Often they will practice making simulated trades for several months before beginning to make live trades. They track their successes and failures versus the market, aiming to learn by experience.

Can you make 500 a day day trading? ›

In terms of money, that means not giving up very much profit potential. For example, a part-time trader may find that they can make $500 per day on average, trading during only the best two to three hours of the day.

Can a day trader be a millionaire? ›

Yes, you can become very rich from day trading if you are lucky and everything goes just right, but it is extremely difficult. Most people fail in day trading because the odds are already against them as retail traders.

Why is day trading so hard? ›

Volatility - At times, the financial market can be extremely volatile, which makes it extremely hard to operate. Impatience - At times, traders are increasingly impatient when starting their careers. They want to start today and succeed tomorrow. Well, patience its one of the key to succeed as a trader.

Can you make millions with day trading? ›

If you want to day trade to make millions a year, you'll likely be disappointed. Very few day traders, or even people in other professions, make millions a year.

How hard is day trading? ›

Day trading is difficult to master. It requires time, skill, and discipline. Many who try it lose money, but the strategies and techniques described above may help you create a potentially profitable strategy.

How much can a beginner trader make? ›

How much money you can make depends mainly on the amount you are investing in. You will get a margin of 10 to 15 times from a majority of the trading systems. If you buy a stock and hold it from 3 months to 3 years, you can get a return of 30% to 5 times.

Do most people make money day trading? ›

The vast majority of day traders lose money, reflecting the activity's risk. The factors that determine the potential upside of day trading include starting capital amount, strategies used, the markets in which you are active, and luck.

Who is the most profitable day trader ever? ›

Steve Cohen is arguably the most profitable hedge fund trader ever. His SAC Capital returned 30% annually for more than 20 years since its inception in 1992, making Cohen a billionaire.

How many day traders are successful? ›

The success rate for day traders is estimated to be around only 10%. So, if around 90% of day traders are losing money in general, how could anyone expect to make a living this way?

Is day trading a gamble? ›

Day trading does not carry the same stigma as gambling, but it does share a lot of similarities to gambling, and day trading could be a gateway into other forms of gambling.

How much is $20 a day for 1 year? ›

What if you could save $10 every day—or save 20 dollars a day—without compromising your lifestyle? Saving just 10 dollars a day would mean $3,650 more each year to invest in your future. Saving 20 dollars a day adds up to about $600 a month or $7,300 each year!

How much is $1 000 a day for 20 years? ›

The lucky winner now has the option of receiving their prize as $1,000 a day for the rest of their life or 20 years, whichever is greater or as a one-time lump-sum payment of $5.75 million. The $1,000 per day payment is issued as a yearly payout of $365,000.

How much is $1 dollar a day doubled for 30 days? ›

How Much Does A Dollar Doubled Every Day For A Month End Up Being? A dollar doubled every day for the 30 days that make up an average month would amount to $107,374,182,400. This is much more than the $1,000,000 offered in the other option.

How much is $50 a day for 20 years? ›

It'll take a lot of discipline and a high savings rate, but it's doable: “I call it the 50-20 formula: $50 a day for 20 years at a 10% rate of return is over $1 million.” If you save for 30 years, based on that formula, you'd have about $3.39 million, he says.

How much is $50 dollars a day for 365 days? ›

One year has 365 days, and you can only spend 50 dollars per day. 365x50 is 18250. That's the total amount of money you need to save up if you want to travel for a year alone. If you are a couple, then you need twice the amount.

What is $100 dollars a day for a year? ›

$100 daily is how much per year? If you make $100 per day, your Yearly salary would be $26,047. This result is obtained by multiplying your base salary by the amount of hours, week, and months you work in a year, assuming you work 40 hours a week.

What is a realistic return for a day trader? ›

Realistic day trading returns are anything from negative returns to 100%+ on an annual basis. The returns you get will vary greatly depending on factors like position sizing, leverage, your strategy, and how committed you are to follow through with your trading.

How many traders quit? ›

Only 15% of Day Traders Survive for 3 Years or Longer

A study of day traders in Taiwan found that 75% of day traders quit within 2 years, and 85% quit within 3 years.

What percentage of daytraders make money? ›

Studies have shown that more than 97% of day traders lose money over time, and less than 1% of day traders are actually profitable.

Is it possible to make $100 a day day trading? ›

The answer is yes. You can make $100 a day trading stocks in what is referred to as penny stocks, which are low-priced companies that investors speculate on. Penny stocks are typically very risky, but if you have the patience and skill to play the market, you could make some serious money.

Can a beginner make money day trading? ›

If you're thinking about day trading for the first time, it's important to know that day trading profits are hard to come by. You can make money day trading, but you'd be in very limited company. The paradox of day trading is that it may seem like a good idea, depending on how the stock market is performing.

Who is the best day trader to learn from? ›

Day trading penny stocks is considered a particular niche in the trading arena, and there's no better penny stocks day trader or instructor than Timothy Sykes, making his course the best for learning how to day trade penny stocks.

How many trades should a day trader make a day? ›

A day trader might make 100 to a few hundred trades in a day, depending on the strategy and how frequently attractive opportunities appear. With so many trades, it's important that day traders keep costs low — our online broker comparison tool can help narrow the options.

How long should you hold a day trade? ›

Any funds used to meet the day-trading minimum equity requirement or to meet a day-trading margin call must remain in the account for two business days following the close of business on any day when the deposit is required.

Can day trading be a full-time job? ›

Trading is often viewed as a high barrier-to-entry profession, but as long as you have both ambition and patience, you can trade for a living (even with little to no money). Trading can become a full-time career opportunity, a part-time opportunity, or just a way to generate supplemental income.

Can I make 5k day trading? ›

Strategies such as intraday trading or derivative trading can be used to make ₹5000 per day. But you must have adequate preparation and account for the associated risks in stock market investments.

What is the most profitable trading strategy? ›

From our experience, mean reversion strategies tend to be the most profitable. One of the reasons for that is that the market moves sideways more of the time than it trends. Even when it trends, it moves in waves that often oscillate around its moving average.

Can I start day trading with $2000? ›

If you are a trader who occasionally executes day trades, you are subject to the same margin requirements as non-day traders. This means you must have a minimum equity of $2,000 to buy on margin.

Who is the richest trader in the world? ›

Steve Cohen

This is because, unlike most others, he made his wealth using short-term trading strategies.

Can anyone become a successful day trader? ›

Becoming a consistently successful day trader can take years, but it's possible. It's extremely risky to make trades with anything other than disposable income. Becoming a profitable day trader can require years of thorough research. Commissions can cost a day trader thousands of dollars annually.

Why do 90% of day traders fail? ›

Most new traders lose because they trade way too big. Their first loss or string of losses takes them out of the game. Overtrading is another common mistake that traders make that can lead to losses.

Why do most day traders fail? ›

Lack of knowledge

This single biggest reason why most traders fail to make money when trading the stock market is due to a lack of knowledge. We can also put poor education into this arena because while many seek to educate themselves, they look in all the wrong places and, therefore, end up gaining a poor education.

What is the failure rate of day traders? ›

What percentage of day traders make money and how many fail? Approximately 1-20% of day traders make money day trading. Just a tiny fraction of day traders make any significant amount of money. That means that between 80 to 99% of them fail.

What is the golden rule of trading? ›

Don't use leverage: This should be the most important golden rule for any investor who is entering fresh into the world of stock trading, never use borrowed money to invest in stocks.

What is the best strategy for day trading? ›

Scalping is one of the best day-trading strategies for confident traders who can make quick decisions and act on them without dwelling. Adherents to the scalping strategy have enough discipline to sell immediately if they witness a price decline, thus minimizing losses.

How much do full-time traders make? ›

Stock Trader salary in India ranges between ₹ 0.3 Lakhs to ₹ 6.0 Lakhs with an average annual salary of ₹ 2.5 Lakhs. Salary estimates are based on 249 latest salaries received from Stock Traders.

What is the 5 3 1 rule in trading? ›

The numbers five, three and one stand for: Five currency pairs to learn and trade Three strategies to become an expert on and use with your trades One time to trade, the same time every day.

What is the 6% rule for day trading? ›

According to FINRA rules, you're considered a pattern day trader if you execute four or more "day trades" within five business days—provided that the number of day trades represents more than 6 percent of your total trades in the margin account for that same five business day period.

What is 1 2 3 strategy trading? ›

The 123 reversal chart pattern strategy is a three-swing price formation that indicates a potential reversal in trend. It is formed by three price swings or waves with three swing points, which is where the name of the pattern comes from.

What is 90% rule in trading? ›

You might have heard this, "90% of traders lose 90% of their money in the first 90 days of trading." This is known as the 90/90/90 rule. I don't even know if this is true, but it seems that a lot of traders are losing money, states Markus Heitkoetter of Rockwell Trading.

What are the 2% trading rules? ›

One popular method is the 2% Rule, which means you never put more than 2% of your account equity at risk (Table 1). For example, if you are trading a $50,000 account, and you choose a risk management stop loss of 2%, you could risk up to $1,000 on any given trade.

What is the 80% rule in trading? ›

The 80% Rule: When the market opens above or below the value area, and then gets in the value area for two consecutive half-hour periods. The market then has an 80% chance of filling the value area. The value area and the 80% rule can be excellent tools for judging potential market direction.

What is the 45 minute rule in trading? ›

If there is a 15% rise or fall in the index after 2.30 pm, then trading activity is halted for the remainder of the trading day. If an index rises or falls by 15% anytime between 1:00 pm and 2:30 pm, it results in trading activity being halted for 45 minutes.

How do day traders avoid taxes? ›

The first way day traders avoid taxes is by using the mark-to-market method. This method takes advantage of the ability of day traders to offset capital gains with capital losses. Investors can get a tax deduction for any investments they lost money on and use that to avoid or reduce capital gains tax.

What time should you stop day trading? ›

The opening 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) period is often one of the best hours of the day for day trading, offering the biggest moves in the shortest amount of time. A lot of professional day traders stop trading around 11:30 a.m. because that is when volatility and volume tend to taper off.

What type of day trading is most profitable? ›

For individual short-term traders, day trading with forex is more profitable than others. For long-term traders, day trading with stock is more profitable. For newbies with long-term trading plans, swing trading is the best type.

What is the most profitable form of day trading? ›

Intraday trading: This trading type makes you buy and sell your stocks on the same day before the market closes. You need to track your market position the entire day, looking for a good opportunity to sell your stocks. Intraday trading is a great method of making fast profits provided you invest in the right stocks.

What is the secret of successful traders? ›

The secret of successful trading is to take a step back from the market. Trade with the big picture in mind at all times and don't follow the day to day market movement. Daily market talk can hypnotize you if you follow it too closely. You have to see the wood and not the individual trees.

What is the simplest trading strategy in the world? ›

One of the simplest and most effective trading strategies in the world, is simply trading price action signals from horizontal levels on a price chart.

What is the simplest trading strategy? ›

Following the trend is probably the easiest trading strategy for a beginner, based on the premise that the trend is your friend. Contrarian investing refers to going against the market herd. You short a stock when the market is rising or buy it when the market is falling.

What is the best traders win ratio? ›

The win/loss ratio is used mostly by day traders to assess their daily wins and losses from trading. It is used with the win-rate, that is, the number of trades won out of total trades, to determine the probability of a trader's success. A win/loss ratio above 1.0 or a win-rate above 50% is usually favorable.

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