Been trading US30 for a while now but still struggling with timing during active hours.
The volatility around market open and close is insane. What approaches have worked for you during these sessions?
Focus on the first hour after the market opens. That’s when there’s high volume and strong trends develop quickly. Avoid the last 30 minutes before closing as it can get choppy and unpredictable. During volatile times, consider reducing your position size and always use stop-loss orders.
Don’t trade the first 15 minutes. The opening bell creates fast fake breakouts. I focus on 9:45 to 11:30 AM EST when institutions place real orders. Price action improves after the initial mess. Same for the close. Avoid 3:45 to 4:00 PM unless scalping. That final push can hurt retail traders. Watch for 8:30 AM economic releases too. US30 can move over 100 points quickly. Jump on the breakout right away or wait 20 minutes for things to settle.
I wait for the 10:30 AM reversal most days. Works better than fighting the early chaos.
Trade during lunch. The dead zone pays off if you’re patient.