Why do I always hit stop-loss?

Asked by: Davon Cartwright Jr.  |  Last update: April 15, 2025
Score: 4.1/5 (56 votes)

If you repeatedly see that your stops get hit precisely before price reverses into your original direction, it's very likely that you place your stops at levels that other traders also use.

How to avoid stop-loss hit?

To guard against stop-loss hunting, traders can set stop-loss orders at levels that are less likely to be hit by temporary price fluctuations. Avoiding the placement of stops at obvious or round number price points is essential, as manipulative traders commonly target these levels.

What is the 1% rule for stop-loss?

Whether you use a stop loss or not is up to you, but the 1% risk rule means you don't lose more than 1% of your capital on a single trade. If you allow yourself to risk 2% then, it would be the 2% rule. If you only risk 0.5%, then it is the 0.5% rule.

Why was my stop-loss triggered?

A stop loss triggers when the stock falls below your stop loss price, it then sells a the next available best price. That's the price when trading opens for the exchange its on, not your stop loss price.

What is the golden rule for stop-loss?

The golden rule of Stop Losses is that they should never be moved away from the market once the trade is opened. If a trader feels that their stop loss is incorrectly placed, they are recognising that the foundations of their trade are incorrect and therefore they should close out.

Stop Hunting in Trading Exists! But it is Just Not What You Expect it to Be

37 related questions found

Why does my stop-loss always hit?

Because your stop loss is always placed at an obvious price level where the smart money has the incentive to push the price higher, exit their trades, and then have the market reverse back in your direction. So the brokers are not really out to get you, it's just the way the market moves.

What is the 2% stop-loss rule?

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.

Why stop losses are a bad idea?

The main disadvantage is that a short-term fluctuation in a stock's price could activate the stop price. The key is picking a stop-loss percentage that allows a stock to fluctuate day-to-day, while also preventing as much downside risk as possible.

How to fix stop-loss?

How to fix a Stop-Loss?
  1. Step 1: Set a fixed percentage of your trading capital as a maximum loss on any trade, we recommend keeping it at 5%. Suppose your capital is Rs.10000, So your maximum risk in single trade should be : ...
  2. Step 2: Calculate the Max points you can lose. ...
  3. Step 3: Calculate your SL level.

What is the best stop-loss strategy?

What stop-loss percentage should I use? According to research, the most effective stop-loss levels for maximizing returns while limiting losses are between 15% and 20%. These levels strike a balance between allowing some market fluctuation and protecting against significant downturns.

What is the 7% stop-loss rule?

Always sell a stock it if falls 7%-8% below what you paid for it. This basic principle helps you always cap your potential downside. If you're following rules for how to buy stocks and a stock you own drops 7% to 8% from what you paid for it, something is wrong.

What is the 5 3 1 rule in trading?

The 5-3-1 trading strategy designates you should focus on only five major currency pairs. The pairs you choose should focus on one or two major currencies you're most familiar with. For example, if you live in Australia, you may choose AUD/USD, AUD/NZD, EUR/AUD, GBP/AUD, and AUD/JPY.

How much money do day traders with $10,000 accounts make per day on average?

Assuming they make ten trades per day and taking into account the success/failure ratio, this hypothetical day trader can anticipate earning approximately $525 and only risking a loss of about $300 each day. This results in a sizeable net gain of $225 per day.

Do brokers hunt stop losses?

The short answer to this question is : NO, they don't! It's very risky for a Broker to push the market with artificial pricing to trigger your stop loss because they will be caught in very advantageous arbitrage opportunities and secondly they will have several legal repercussions and penalties.

How do you guarantee stop-loss?

If you have a current position that you would like to add a GSLO to, follow these steps:
  1. Visit the open position tab on the trading platform.
  2. Open your trade and select the Stop & Limits section within the deal ticket.
  3. Select the price and quantity at which you would like your Guaranteed Stop to be triggered.

Do stop losses trigger after hours?

Stop orders will only trigger during the standard market session, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET. Stop orders will not execute during extended-hours sessions, such as pre-market or after-hours sessions, or take effect when the stock is not trading (e.g., during stock halts or on weekends or market holidays).

What triggers a stop-loss?

If a stock price suddenly gaps below (or above) the stop price, the order would trigger. The stock would be sold (or bought) at the next available price even if the stock is trading sharply away from your stop loss level.

What is the formula for stop-loss?

Calculate Stop Loss Using the Percentage Method

Additionally, let's say you own stock trading at ₹50 per share. Accordingly, your stop loss would be set at ₹45 — ₹5 under the current market value of the stock (₹50 x 10% = ₹5).

Why did my stop-loss fail?

In case of extremely less volume, where there are not enough buyers and sellers (referred to as an illiquid contract), the Stop Loss will not be executed as the stock may not have enough buyers/sellers at a defined stop-loss limit price by you for the order to be executed which is also known as 'Market depth'.

Why don't professional traders use stop-loss?

Because they have a hedge. A common reason why a professional trader won't use a stop loss is because he is hedged with some other trade. This is particularly prevalent with certain types of trading such as spread trading, stat arbitrage or high frequency trading.

What is the danger of stop-loss?

Stop loss orders aren't always appropriate

This is because prices can rise and fall dramatically in a short time. Let's say you've set a stop loss of 10% and you're buying securities in a volatile market such as forex. The price of a security could drop 10% and, a minute later, increase in value by 15%.

What is the best stop-loss ratio?

The golden rule for stop loss is the limit of losses, which you place by setting a predefined price to exit a trade if it moves against you. This rule usually applies to risking only a small percentage of your capital, 1-2% per trade, to protect your investment portfolio from significant losses.

What is the 6% stop-loss rule?

The 6% stop-loss rule is another risk management strategy used in trading. It involves setting your stop-loss order at a level where, if the trade moves against you, you would only lose a maximum of 6% of your total trading capital on that particular trade.

What is the 3000 loss rule?

Capital losses that exceed capital gains in a year may be used to offset capital gains or as a deduction against ordinary income up to $3,000 in any one tax year. Net capital losses in excess of $3,000 can be carried forward indefinitely until the amount is exhausted.

Why don't stop losses work?

When the price drops or rises very fast, a market stop loss might execute at worse prices, and the limit stop loss might not execute at all.