Intraday trading is also known as day trading. By its very name, the method of trading that intraday traders follow is to open and close their trading positions within a single trading day. 

This means that intraday or day traders open their position and close their position during the daily hours of trading, on the same trading day. 

The trades start when the trading day begins and end at the intraday trading closing time which is when the trading day closes at the stock market. Once you open a Demat account, you can execute intraday trading. 

Intraday Trading and Timeframes

As you may have guessed, trading timeframes are of the essence when it comes to intraday trading, especially when positions are chosen and closed as per the intraday trading closing time. 

Additionally, intraday trading requires that traders take advantage of quick market shifts, make swift decisions, and promptly execute trades. 

Intraday traders have the option of buying or going short in the market, and they must close their positions before the market closes for the trading day. 

Rapid Decision Making Without Emotions

In intraday trading options, you can either buy or go short on your position during any trading day. If you want to be a successful intraday trader, aiming to make profits from short-term trades (within a day), you have to make decisions fast and avoid relying on any emotional factors. 

Intraday traders, rather, rely on multiple timeframe charts to make their trades a success. Day traders analyse many charts associated with a single stock to know when to enter and exit positions. 

They follow trends in 5-minute, 15-minute, and 60-minute charts to analyse trends and movements of stocks. Every timeframe offers traders a different view and this contributes to the stock’s overall momentum picture. 

Optimal Time Frames During the Day

There is no ‘ideal’ when it comes to trading windows or timeframes to opt for. The idea for an intraday trader to achieve earnings from trades is to make sure that trades make a profit before they close their positions at the intraday trading closing time. Depending on whether you are new to intraday trading or an experienced hand, you can choose your trading window or time frame accordingly. 

Novice traders may find the timeframe between 10.30 am and 2.30 pm potentially suitable for trading. Additionally, intraday traders may feel that potentially ideal times to make trades are between 10 am and 10.30 am. These timeframes may be characterised by less volatility in prices since the day has just begun. Opportunities may be seized at such times. 

More Times to Trade

There are some optimal timeframes during the day for intraday traders to conduct trades. These are as follows:

• Choosing Chart Times

Traders often analyse charts of a particular stock and conduct trading activity. Traders may choose from a 1-minute chart to a 60-minute chart to trade. Which chart a trader uses depends on trading strategies, individual preferences, and the liquidity and volume of the assets being traded. 

• The First 15 Minutes

Traders have many intraday trading options to consider, regarding timeframes. They may be more risky and trade in the first 15 minutes of the trading session. 

This is a period that presents opportunities for rapid breakouts and implies the direction for the rest of the trading day. 

At this time, traders have to be careful and look out for support and resistance levels, preventing any random trades. If traders wish to mitigate risk, they may employ wider stop-loss actions initially, reducing the potential for open action and risk. 

• First Half and Second Half of the Day

The decision of whether to trade in the first half of the trading day or the second half entirely depends on individual stock analysis. 

Typically, the first half of the day experiences some volatility and greater swings in prices, factors that provide more opportunities for trading. Major shifts in the prices of stocks for intraday trading occur during the early morning, and this may result in potentially positive trading outcomes. 

The middle of the day witnesses slow movements of prices, and before the intraday trading closing time, trends can reappear. 

Following Optimal Timeframes

Intraday traders may rely on optimal timeframes to boost their potential for making profitable trades. 

Tried and trusted timeframes deliver the benefits of determining major intraday trends and reversals, not to mention, setting a rhythm for trading actions. 

Timeframes also maximise opportunities while minimising guesswork and speculation. They essentially make trading activity as disciplined and objective as possible.