News Trader

An individual who conducts trades based on news events

Author: Josh Pupkin
Josh Pupkin
Josh Pupkin
Private Equity | Investment Banking

Josh has extensive experience private equity, business development, and investment banking. Josh started his career working as an investment banking analyst for Barclays before transitioning to a private equity role Neuberger Berman. Currently, Josh is an Associate in the Strategic Finance Group of Accordion Partners, a management consulting firm which advises on, executes, and implements value creation initiatives and 100 day plans for Private Equity-backed companies and their financial sponsors.

Josh graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Maryland, College Park with a Bachelor of Science in Finance and is currently an MBA candidate at Duke University Fuqua School of Business with a concentration in Corporate Strategy.

Reviewed By: Manu Lakshmanan
Manu Lakshmanan
Manu Lakshmanan
Management Consulting | Strategy & Operations

Prior to accepting a position as the Director of Operations Strategy at DJO Global, Manu was a management consultant with McKinsey & Company in Houston. He served clients, including presenting directly to C-level executives, in digital, strategy, M&A, and operations projects.

Manu holds a PHD in Biomedical Engineering from Duke University and a BA in Physics from Cornell University.

Last Updated:December 3, 2023

What Is a News Trader?

A news trader is someone who conducts trades based on news events. The news could be coming from significant economic events, earnings reports, and employees from companies going on strike. Traders use news that will move the stock price up or down enough to scalp trade. 

Many things go into news trading, but one of the critical things is to have an accurate and on-time news source. If you do not have this, you could find yourself on the wrong side of a trade, and it needs to be on time to ensure you take advantage of the move.

Being a news trader can be very stressful, so if you plan to become one, you must stay calm and control your emotions under stress. You also need good research and analysis skills, which aid in finding accurate news that a trader can trust. 

A news trader also needs to be aware of the market conditions surrounding them. Most news traders would also be considered day traders because they only usually stay in trades for a while. This allows them to take profit and get out of the trade before it turns against them. 

One advantage of this trading style is that if you are successful, you could have a short workday compared to everyone else. In addition, news trading can be very profitable, which is an excellent reward for the time it may take to become a profitable trader.

A significant aspect of being a trader who trades news releases is that anyone can do it. There is no limit to who can trade based on the news; it can be anyone, such as a proprietary or retail trader. 

What skills are needed For A News Trader?

There are specific characteristics that a trader will need to use news events to their advantage. These can include

  • Research and analysis,
  • Discipline,
  • Patience, and
  • Focus. 

1. Research and Analysis

These are undoubtedly essential skills required to become a profitable trader. Researching news events, earnings, and press releases for companies is extremely important if you want to trade based on those very things. 

If traders cannot research for news, they should work on that before putting any skin in the game. Information that can move stock prices up and down will only sometimes appear in front of your face if it requires national attention.

The second part of the research is the analysis factor. Traders must be able to analyze what they are reading. They need to relate it to the market conditions and the company's expectations to make a profitable trade.

2. Discipline 

Next, a trader needs to be disciplined. This is important, so they only take a trade that is a part of their system. Being disciplined takes patience when waiting for the correct entry and exit points. 

3. Patience and Focus

Lastly, traders who rely on the news for trading need to be able to focus. They need to focus on the news they read, comprehend it, make it applicable to the trades they plan to take, and focus on the price action, order flow, and patterns that appear. 

With that said, anyone can trade in the markets based on news. One should only jump in with training. Consistent and determined, one can successfully master the art of trading new releases. 

advantages and disadvantages of a news trader

A trader relying on news, economic events, and earnings reports has many advantages.

Some of these advantages include the following:

  • Shorter work days,
  • More volatility in the trades they take, and
  • You don't have to worry about the risk of trades going against you overnight. 

Since traders will only be trading based on the news, then the moves from the stock will take less time. This is because the stock price will react to the information and act accordingly, and then the traders can take their profit and be done for the day. 

Also, because the news can make certain stocks move so much, volatility is a huge factor for these traders. The volatility is the key reason traders place trades based on the news. The significant movement in price allows for large profits to be taken within a short period. 

Lastly, trades based on events, earnings, and economic reports significantly impact the price action as soon as they are released, but the news traders do not carry their trades overnight in fear that they could turn against them. 

Some disadvantages of trading based on the news are:

  • If a trade goes against you, you must cut your losses immediately rather than letting it play out. Therefore, the trades are riskier. 
  • Volatility can also be considered a disadvantage because stock price movement can turn against you. If you do not have your stop losses set in the proper place, you could lose more money than you might like to. 
  • Also, a lot of stress and emotions can come through when executing a trade, especially when it might appear that the trade is going in the wrong direction. Therefore, traders must learn how to deal with stress and take control of their emotions. 

Where do News Traders get their news from?

Traders can get their news from significant resources such as CNBC, Fox Business, or Bloomberg. In addition, other online resources, such as Bazinga, Market Watch, and many others, report the news. 

Traders can choose where they get their information from, although they should ensure that their data is from a reputable source that will give the facts needed to make the right trade. 

Some traders may consider reading the articles or headlines that come out instead of listening to the news when it comes out. This will allow them to create their theory instead of listening to the broadcaster's opinion on where a stock may be headed. 

Web pages such as Benzinga can give you live news feeds and information on current and upcoming events. Benzinga also gives you analytical advice on what their analyst believe is happening or going to happen. 

Another page that they might use is a resource like MarketWatch; these websites have financial market news, analysis, business news, and stock market data. There are plenty of online organizations that have information. Traders can pick which ones they like and trust. 

News traders should always be aware of the specific dates for significant economic events. If they do not know that these events are happening, they could take a day trade, and the markets could completely flip on them. So they should always know the dates and times. 

What type of news do the News traders use?

Traders use break news, economic events, economic data releasing, and earnings reports as training strategies. These events include the rise of the DXY, Consumer price index data, housing market data, etc. 

Traders use information that comes from companies. This news can include new products and collaborations with other companies or celebrities. These headlines can drastically move stock prices. 

Traders will use the news to make more short-term profitable trades because news can place fear or confidence in the market. Other retail traders will buy and sell stocks based on fear and confidence, which moves the price of stocks. 

For example, if a technology company comes out with new software that could completely revolutionize the way that business firms operate. This sort of news release would more than likely send their stock price soaring. 

Another example could be that new inflation data has come out, and the Federal Reserve wants to raise interest rates to slow down inflation. Based on this data, intraday stock prices could take a massive hit to the downside, and news traders could profit from it. 

Conclusion

News traders are people who make trades off of news releases. Traders who do this full-time can make lots of money, but this job's success rate could be much higher. It is a challenging career that demands discipline, focus, research and analysis skills, and patience. 

Traders will use the news because it makes the stock prices move a lot in a short period (volatility). So the big moves help traders make a lot of money quickly. Although, trading like this is hazardous. 

You may make a lot of money, but the risk is extremely high because if the trade goes against you, you will have to cut your losses without letting the price recover. 

Traders have many advantages, such as shorter work days and shorter-term trades that don't carry the risk of trades going against you overnight. Traders can use other people's fear or confidence in the market to make money. 

Disadvantages of trading the news include the market making unexpected moves. In addition, stress and high emotions during the trading day can be considered a disadvantage because of the weight it bears down on you. 

If you're competitive and hate to lose, it is hard to trade the news because losses can come frequently and with a large number. This is why traders must control emotions, which will help increase their chances of being profitable. 

Traders can use many different news sources for their trades. They can use news organizations such as CNBC, Yahoo Finance, Bloomberg, or Fox Business. Other news resources such as Benzinga or Market Watch give news, and analysts review it. 

Lastly, traders will use significant economic events, company press releases, catastrophic events, and earnings reports to make trades. For example, a financial event such as the FOMC (Federal Open Market Committee) press release will move stocks up or down, depending on the news. 

In review, news traders take trades based on headlines and news resources that can move stocks up or down. These traders have specific skills and advantages that put them ahead of others. Moreover, these traders can make a good living if done correctly. 

Researched and authored by Adam Bridges | LinkedIn

Reviewed and edited by Parul Gupta | LinkedIn

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