5 Ways to Know When to Enter or Exit a Trade

A chart showing the rise and fall of stock prices on the market

Success as an investor in the stock market depends largely on recognising the enter and exit points of a trade.

 

Recognising entry and exit points will help secure gains and minimise risk on the stock market. However, it is important to note, that no investment strategy can be successful without a well-thought-out market entry and exit strategy. A good entry point is referred to as the best time to purchase financial securities. A good exit strategy is referred to the best time to sell an asset to maximise profits.

In this write-up, we will be discussing various entry and exit indicators in the stock market.

 

What is an Entry Point?

The entry point of a trade is the price point at which a security is purchased. Investors identify entry points of a trade based on market research and analysis. Investors can take advantage of multiple entry points, during brief counter-trends on the market. Depending on the trade order, investors can set specified market entry points to be executed automatically when all conditions are met.

 

What is an Exit Point?

Investors make profits on the stock market by taking advantage of the difference between the buying and selling price of a security. The exit point of a trade is the price at which a security is sold. At this point, the investor is said to have closed a trading position. The exit point of a trade can be due to shifting market conditions or achieved investment goals. Determining a good exit point is crucial in safeguarding capital invested and sustaining profits.

 

How to Recognise Entry and Exit Points?

Every investor in the stock market aims to make profits, making identifying the best market entry and exit points important. However, finding these points is not always possible. However, some technical indicators can help investors choose good market entry and exit points. Let’s look at a few below;

 

Moving Average

The moving average of a stock is a popular technical indicator used to identify market entry and exit points. It considers the average price of a stock over 10 days to provide a trend direction. Investors view the rise of stock price above the moving average as an entry point and a decline as an exit point.

 

Bollinger Bands

Bollinger Bands consist of 3 lines, an upper level, a lower level and a moving average. Investors consider the movement of a stock price towards the upper level as a possible entry point. And movement towards the lower level as an exit point. However, when a stock price goes below the lower band it could either be a time to close position or take long positions.

 

MACD (Moving Average Convergence Divergence)

MACD is used to understand the instance and trend of a stock price. It consists of 2 lines; the MACD line and the signal line. A rise in the MACD line above the signal line signals a bullish crossover and also indicates an entry point. A fall in the MACD line below the signal line signals a bearish crossover and indicates an exit point. 

 

Relative Strength Index (RSI)

RSI measures both the speed and price changes of the market. The Relative Strength Index is an important indicator for analysing financial markets. Which indicates if a stock is over-bought or oversold. Investors measure the RSI of a stock on a scale of 0-100. When the RSI of a stock falls below 30, the investors consider the price to have declined rapidly, indicating oversold conditions. However, there could be a possibility of a reversal. When the RSI exceeds 70, investors deem the stock overbought, signaling a rapid increase in price. However, there is a possibility of a downward movement.

Investors often see an RSI of less than 30 as a good entry point and above 70 as a good exit point.

 

Stochastic Oscillator

The stochastic oscillator provides insights into potential market trends, by measuring the momentum of price changes. It works on the principle that the price momentum of a security will change first before an actual price change. The stochastic oscillator measures the momentum of price change on a scale of 0 to 100. Investors consider a measurement below 20 as a potential oversold situation and a good entry point. And view measurements above 80 as a potential oversold and a good exit point.

 

Conclusion

Identifying the best entry and exit points in the stock market is not always easy even for the most experienced investors. These indicators discussed above can help make informed decisions on when to enter and close trading positions.

 

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