Today traders can trade in whatever they want: with robots, through a mobile application or computer, sitting at home or on a bench in the park (under a palm tree, in the office during working hours, rocking a child). Various useful services are used as sources of information. But it was not always so.
We presented how stock market speculators from different times and countries would describe their working day.
Merchant Athanasius, first half of the 19th century
It's a long way to get to the St. Petersburg Stock Exchange, so you have to wake up before dark. The merchant's wife cooks the goose on the road, while I put on my boots, wide trousers and a warm frock coat. Once again I remember my desire to move to a warmer Odessa, but the stock exchange there is still growing.
I come to the stock exchange. I stand trading in goods, bills, currency. Securities have recently appeared. And 10 years ago, I was limited to goods.
Jack, second half of the 19th century
For 2 months now I can't get enough of my best investment - I bought a ticker telegraph. This is how it looks like.
Do you know what this means? No crush on Wall Street, running around the city with the sky in the box because of the telegraph wires. But most importantly, the days of the "sidewalk exchange" have passed for me, when I had to stand under the exchange building in any weather and listen to the announcement of quotes from the window.
So far, only the richest traders can afford the ticker machine. Therefore, if I want to show off, I gather my friends-traders at home.
Today, the tool has printed quotes from Jay Cooke and Company. They seem to be doing pretty well, but in the event of problems with the company, the entire stock market can become embarrassed. Several people close to the company sent telegrams yesterday about problems within the company that no one knows about yet. Previously, sources did not let me down. This means that you need to get out of the market. I will do it gradually and imperceptibly.
Jesse, 20th century
Finally, a large analog board appeared in the building of the exchange, on which data on the instruments I needed was displayed. And what telegraph operators worked with the blackboard … You need to invite someone on a date.
Now the market is in a full … hole. Only we are moving away from the crash of 1929. I don’t have as much money as I would like, because I lost a lot during the unfortunate fall. But I am gradually gaining momentum. Today I am buying another pack of long-term bonds.
Vladimir, 90s
Today I am going to trade vouchers at the CUB (Central Russian Universal Exchange).
I put on a leatherette jacket and take the subway at a brisk pace. 30 minutes, and I'm at the entrance to the exchange. Again you have to queue up for an admission ticket. There are a lot of people, so you have to stand for a long time. Ticket purchased. Now I have been waiting for the queue to enter the trading floor for the same amount of time.
Today I came to buy, so I'm waiting for the announcement of the broker who runs the auction.
The broker announces the first auction - vouchers, 50 pieces of 25,000 rubles each. Not a bad price, I lift 3 fingers up, indicating how many lots I'm ready to buy. Those who want to sell their hand with their fingers down. There are more sellers. The broker lowers the price and I raise my hand again. As a result, I bought vouchers for 23,000 rubles.
The buyer next to me dropped his hand after closing the deal. Half a minute later, he was no longer in the hall.
Victor, 21st century
The day starts with a news review. Going to work in the office, I listen to RBC. Oil is getting cheaper again. I write down the idea. After work, you need to look at the oil schedule. Maybe a rebound is foreseen.
At 6 pm I open MetaTrader 4, open the Brent chart, apply the Fibonacci grid, and set the indicators. Indeed, if oil falls another $ 1.2, a rebound is possible. I place a buy limit order.
Before going to bed, I flip through a few more currency pairs. I write down ideas and order in my diary.
Olga, 2019
I work at home. Trading starts with a chart. While the computer turns on, I brew coffee, some milk. I'm going to the computer.
I open several charts on TradingView, looking for entry points for my favorite currency pairs and commodities.
I see an interesting picture for gold. A downward channel has formed. I am considering the schedule in more detail. Sliding bands, Bollinger bands, Fibo levels - everything indicates that you need to sell, but you need to wait to open a deal at the best price.
I open helper services to see how the market is attuned to gold. Bearish sentiment prevails. Excellent. I'm waiting for the entry point to form. I remember about coffee, but it's too late. Drinking a cold drink is not a hunt.
I switch to an open trade in oil. The position is in positive territory by 3.5%. I close the order after 2 days. Not a bad profit.
Now you can do other things and other work. During the day I will listen to the news, and in the evening I will go over the schedules.
