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Day trading for a living? Fernando

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  • Fernando Chague
  • Rodrigo De-Losso, Bruno Giovannetti

Abstract

We show that it is virtually impossible for an individual to day trade for a living, contrary to what course providers claim. We observe all individuals who began to day trade between 2013 and 2015 in the Brazilian equity futures market, the third in terms of volume in the world, and persisted for at least 300 days: 97% of them lost money, only 0.4% earned more than a bank teller (US$54 per day), and the top individual earned only US$310 per day with great risk (a standard deviation of US$2,560). Additionally, we find no evidence of learning by day trading.

Suggested Citation

  • Fernando Chague & Rodrigo De-Losso, Bruno Giovannetti, 2019. "Day trading for a living? Fernando," Working Papers, Department of Economics 2019_47, University of São Paulo (FEA-USP).
    • Handle: RePEc:spa:wpaper:2019wpecon47
    as

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    File URL: http://www.repec.eae.fea.usp.br/documentos/Chague_Losso_Giovannetti_47WP.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Barber, Brad M. & Lee, Yi-Tsung & Liu, Yu-Jane & Odean, Terrance, 2014. "The cross-section of speculator skill: Evidence from day trading," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 18(C), pages 1-24.
    2. Kuo, Wei-Yu & Lin, Tse-Chun, 2013. "Overconfident individual day traders: Evidence from the Taiwan futures market," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(9), pages 3548-3561.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    day trade; day trading for a living; retail investors; HFT; course providers; futures market;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C92 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Group Behavior
    • G02 - Financial Economics - - General - - - Behavioral Finance: Underlying Principles
    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates

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