When day trading,
“Until what time should I trade?”
“Is it better to trade only in the morning or all day long?”
You may find yourself wondering these things.
Basically, I make 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM my primary trading time.
Of course, it is not that there are no opportunities after 10:30 AM.
There are stocks that move significantly in the afternoon session, and trading volume can suddenly increase if news breaks.
Even so, the reason I prioritize that first hour and a half in the morning is simply because this time frame is where “price movement, trading volume, and market conditions” are most likely to align, making it easier to execute my trades.
In this article, I will explain why I target the 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM window.
1. Trading volume is high immediately after the market opens
The biggest factor is trading volume.
The morning session for Japanese stocks begins at 9:00 AM.
When the market opens,
“US stocks rose yesterday”
“Nikkei futures are down”
“Earnings were announced”
“New information has been released”
and other information that emerged from the close of the previous day until the morning is priced in all at once.
Because of this, many investors trade right from the opening.
As trading volume increases, stock prices become easier to move.
In day trading, you cannot aim for profits if there is no price movement.
In that sense, I believe the morning, when there are many participants, is a suitable time for day trading.
② It is easier to see the day’s “market sentiment”
In my day trading, I rarely look only at individual stocks.
What is extremely important is market sentiment.
For example, the market opens at 9:00 AM,
the Nikkei Stock Average rises.
TOPIX also rises.
Semiconductor stocks are also strong overall.
The stocks I am monitoring are also above the VWAP.
If this happens,
I can judge that “today might be a market sentiment where buying is likely to come in.”
I can judge that.
Conversely,
the Nikkei Stock Average falls.
Semiconductor stocks are also weak.
Many of the stocks I am monitoring are below the VWAP.
In such a situation, rather than forcing a buy on the dip, it becomes easier to consider selling on rallies or short selling.
By watching the morning price movements, you can confirm the direction of the market for that day.
③ It is easy to identify strong and weak stocks
When I day trade, I
“buy strong stocks if the market sentiment is strong”
“sell weak stocks if the market sentiment is weak”
prioritize this way of thinking.
For example, if the Nikkei 225 is down significantly but a certain stock has barely dropped.
This is a relatively strong stock.
Conversely, if the Nikkei 225 is rising but a stock is not moving at all, it can be judged as relatively weak.
Such strength relationships between individual stocks and indices are relatively easy to spot after the market opens.
I prepare multiple stocks to watch and look for ones that match the market sentiment among them.
④ There is no need to jump in right at 9:00 AM
However,
“morning is easy to win = buy the moment it hits 9:00 AM”
does not mean that.
Rather, I prioritize confirming the price movement immediately after the market opens.
I do not decide to buy just because it opened with a gap up.
I do not decide to short just because it opened with a gap down.
I do not make decisions based on this alone.
How is the Nikkei 225 moving?
Is the sector that the stock belongs to strong?
Is the buying continuing even after the market opens?
Where is it positioned on the daily chart?
What is its positional relationship with the 5-minute 25MA and VWAP?
I check this information.
I believe the market opening is not the “answer” itself, but a time when information to find the day’s answer comes out all at once.I think of it as that.
5. 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM is also important
It is not just immediately after 9:00 AM, but what I particularly emphasize is until around 10:30 AM.
Immediately after the market opens, price movements are intense, and there are stocks whose direction has not been determined.
However, as a little time passes,
“This stock is strong today”
“This stock will be sold even if it rebounds”
“The Nikkei Stock Average seems strong to the upside”
Characteristics like these gradually become visible.
For example, a strong stock has pulled back to near the 5-minute 25MA.
Even so, the index has not collapsed.
And then buying comes in again.
Scenes like this are one of the patterns I often target.
Conversely, if a weak stock rebounds but stops near the 25MA, and the index also falls again, I can consider selling on the rebound.
I can target not just the momentum of the market opening, but also the pullbacks and rebounds after it has moved once.
This is also a reason why I emphasize the morning time slot.
6. Price movements may settle down after 10:30 AM
Of course, it is not the same every day, but once the active morning trading subsides, some stocks will see their price movements settle down.
What you want to be careful about here is
the feeling of “I made a profit in the morning, so I want to earn more.”
This is the feeling.
Even though there are fewer opportunities, you might keep entering trades with the same mindset you had in the morning.
As a result,
Morning +20,000 yen
↓
Before noon +12,000 yen
↓
Afternoon session +3,000 yen
↓
Ending in a loss
This can happen.
In day trading,
trading for a long time does not necessarily mean your profits will increase.
In fact, the mindset of trading only during the times you are good at is also important.
7. The benefits of limiting trades by “time”
Focusing on the 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM window has another benefit.
That isbeing able to reduce unnecessary entries.
If you watch the charts all day, you will inevitably want to enter.
Even when the setup is not actually that good,
“It looks like it might move”
“It looks like it might go up soon”
“I’m bored, so just a little bit”
and end up entering.
This is extremely dangerous in day trading.
If you decide on a certain amount of time to trade,
it becomes easier to focus only on the situations you are good at.
⑧ Do you not trade in the afternoon session?
I do watch the market in the afternoon session, and I sometimes trade if the conditions are met.
In particular,
・The index moved significantly from the afternoon session
・New material came out
・The high or low of the morning session was broken
・Volume concentrated on a specific stock
・A stock that was strong from the morning session started moving again
There are opportunities in cases like these.
However,
you shouldn’t trade just because it’s the afternoon session.
You trade because there is an opportunity.
If there is nothing, you don’t have to do anything.
I believe this mindset is extremely important.
⑨ What is important is knowing your own best time
It is not the case that 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM is absolutely easier for everyone to win.
The best time zone changes depending on your trading method.
What is important is
to grasp which time zone you are making profits in.
For example, take your past 100 trades,
9:00–9:30
9:30–10:30
10:30–11:30
12:30–13:30
13:30–15:30
Try aggregating your data by dividing it into these segments.
Then,
“Actually, I was only making a profit in the morning”
“I was significantly reducing my profits with afternoon trades”
You might find that these things are true.
It is important to look at your actual performance, not just your intuition.
The reason I make 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM my primary trading time
To summarize, the reasons I focus my day trading between 9:00 AM and 10:30 AM are:
・High trading volume
・Price movements are more likely to occur
・Easier to judge the market sentiment for the day
・Easier to identify strong and weak stocks
・Can target dips and rebounds after the market open
・Limiting time helps reduce unnecessary trades
These are the points.
In day trading, I prioritize
“trading only in situations where I excel” over “trading a lot”
.
Focus on 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM, and if there are no good opportunities, do not force a trade.
Even if you are making a profit, stop if the opportunities start to decrease.
And only target the afternoon session on days when the conditions are met.
If you are aiming for stable day trading,
it is worth considering not just “which stocks to buy,” but also “what time to trade” as part of your own rules.
For those who want to learn more about day trading
On YouTube, I conduct a day trading live stream every morning starting at 8:30 AM.
While watching the actual market, I explain indices like the Nikkei 225, as well as decisions on entries, profit-taking, and exits in real-time.
▶ Click here for YouTube
[YouTube Link]
For those who want to learn in more detail
In my YouTube membership, I release exclusive videos covering content that cannot be fully conveyed in regular videos or live streams.
Past videos and live streams are also moved to members-only access after a certain period has passed since their release.
▶ Click here for membership details
[Membership Link]
For those who want to practice day trading with a game
I believe that day trading is not just about memorizing knowledge, but also about repeating decisions such as “buying, selling, waiting, and exiting” while watching the market.
Therefore, I have released a day trading game where you can practice the concepts I prioritize in my actual trading, such as indices, market conditions, and supply and demand.
▶ Click here for the day trading game
[Game Sales Note Link]
https://note.com/nihonnkaburabo/n/nc925792b480d
I also update day trading articles on note
I write articles about day trading strategies, mindsets, trading psychology, and the key points I focus on in the actual market.
If you find this article helpful, please follow me on note.
Note: This article is provided for informational purposes to help you learn about investment knowledge and concepts, and it does not recommend buying or selling any specific stocks or financial products. Investing carries the risk of loss, including the loss of principal. Please make your own investment decisions at your own discretion and responsibility.
