What Is Range Trading?

Range Trading is a trading strategy that involves identifying price ranges within which an asset is repeatedly moving and making trades based on the asset's movements between established support and resistance levels.

Key Features

• Support Level: The lower boundary of the range, where the price tends to stop falling and may bounce back up.
• Resistance Level: The upper boundary, where the price often stops rising and may drop back down.
• Sideways Market: Range trading is most effective in a market that is not trending up or down significantly but moves sideways within a range.

How It Works

A range trader looks for assets trading within a consistent price range and enters buy orders near the support level and sell orders near the resistance level. They aim to capitalize on the asset's repeated movements within this range. The strategy assumes that, until a clear breakout happens, the price will continue to oscillate within these boundaries.

Example

Imagine a stock has been moving between $50 (support) and $60 (resistance) for several weeks. A range trader would look to buy the stock when it approaches $50 and sell it when it nears $60, profiting from these fluctuations.

Benefits

• Predictability: When a range is well-defined, traders can plan entries and exits with confidence.
• Multiple Opportunities: Range-bound assets offer repeated opportunities for profit as they move back and forth within the range.
• Works in Stable Markets: Suitable for times when the market lacks a strong trend.

Risks

• Breakouts: If the price breaks out of the established range (either above resistance or below support), the strategy can fail, leading to potential losses.
• False Signals: The price may sometimes appear to break out only to return to the range, which can lead to losses if traders act prematurely.
• Changing Market Conditions: Range trading may not work well in trending or highly volatile markets.

In Short, Range Trading is about profiting from the predictable oscillations of an asset within a set price range. By buying near support and selling near resistance, traders can take advantage of the repeated price movements, but they must stay alert for potential breakouts that could invalidate the range.