Best timeframe for day traders

Answer 1

The prime time day trading hours are between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM and between 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM. When the market opens at 9:30 AM, there is a lot of volatility during the first half hour of trading and it become difficult to determine the general direction things are moving. At around 10 AM, when the dust begins to settle, there is usually a better indication of the morning trend of commodities in general. Between 12 PM and 2 PM EST, many traders and other market participants are out to lunch and trading slows down quite a bit. Consequently, it is usually a good idea not to initiate new trades during this time. Around 2 PM EST, trading activity starts picking up again and builds up until the close.

Answer 2

There is no "best time frame"; it all depends on how patient you are. If you are a very emotional stock trader then 1, 2, or even 5 minute charts should about do it, anything longer and you will encounter some severe trading losses due to your trading psychology.