Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Hot on Facebook
Man Tries to Order Priciest Starbucks Drink Ever Total cost: $23.60 »

Crisis Brings Day Traders Back to Wall Street

Risk-loving market riders experience new heyday

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted Jan 27, 2009 3:34 PM CST

(Newser) – Some traders like to buy and hold positions based on rational market fundamentals. Then there’s Peter Milman, who’s constantly making—or losing—tens of thousands of dollars, perched over his computer making a furious stream of bets like an arcade pinball wizard. Day traders like Milman are having their greatest renaissance since their tech bubble heyday, New York reports, basking in the incredible market volatility the crisis has brought with it.

Milman isn’t interested in market fundamentals, he’s interested in psychology. A believer in “technical analysis,” he searches for emerging market patterns, like constellations amid market graphs. When the Dow is swinging, he usually makes huge sums, but “there’s no pure science to it,” he acknowledges, recalling bitterly a recent $100,000 loss.

A specialist works at his post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Monday, Jan. 26, 2009.
A specialist works at his post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Monday, Jan. 26, 2009.   (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
In this Dec. 8, 2008, file photo, a screen at a trading post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange charts the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
In this Dec. 8, 2008, file photo, a screen at a trading post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange charts the Dow Jones Industrial Average.   (AP Photo)
Specialist Elizabeth Rose looks at a screen at her post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2008.
Specialist Elizabeth Rose looks at a screen at her post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2008.   (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Be the first to comment on this story.

More Newser Stories

Hey, Wall Street: Shut Up About Bonuses

Lehman Lives on— and It's Getting Bigger

Stocks Jump 400+ on Trio of Good News

Psychopaths More Cautious Than Stockbrokers

Stock Rally Stutters


NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne