What is the Outside Day Trading Strategy?
Day trading is a popular strategy among investors who seek to make quick profits by buying and selling forex currency pairs within the same trading day. This approach can be challenging and requires discipline, as well as a thorough understanding of market dynamics and technical analysis. Outside day trading is a specific type of day trading that involves buying and selling forex based on their price movements outside of a previous day’s trading range. This strategy can be used to identify potential trend changes and take advantage of price movements in a particular direction. However, it is important to note that day trading, including outside day trading, carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors.
Buy Signal

A buy signal for the outside day trading strategy would occur when the current day’s high is higher than the previous day’s high and the current day’s low is also higher than the previous day’s low. This is considered an upside outside day, and is considered a bullish signal.
When this signal occurs, traders may look to buy the trade at the current market price, or at a slightly lower price if they anticipate a dip in the price. Traders should also set a profit target and a stop-loss level to manage risk. The profit target should be set at a level where the trader believes the price will reverse, and the stop-loss should be set at a level where the trader is willing to cut their losses if the price moves against them.
It’s important to note that this is just one aspect of the strategy, traders should also consider other factors such as the market conditions, technical indicators, and the overall trend of the security before making a trade. Additionally, traders should have a risk management plan in place to protect their capital.
Thus, a buy signal for the outside day trading strategy would occur when the following conditions are met:
- The current day’s high is higher than the previous day’s high
- The current day’s low is also higher than the previous day’s low
When the above conditions are met, traders may look to take the following actions:
- Buy the trade at the current market price
- Buy the trade at a slightly lower price if they anticipate a dip in the price
- Set a profit target, a level where the trader believes the price will reverse
- Set a stop-loss level, a level where the trader is willing to cut their losses if the price moves against them
- Consider other factors such as market conditions, technical indicators, and the overall trend of the chart before making a trade
- Have a risk management plan in place to protect their capital
It is important to note that, while the above conditions and actions are a signal to buy, traders should always consider all available information and not rely solely on any single signal to make trade decisions.
Sell Signal

A sell signal for the outside day trading strategy would occur when the following conditions are met:
- The current day’s low is lower than the previous day’s low
- The current day’s high is also lower than the previous day’s high
This is considered a downside outside day and is a bearish signal, indicating that the trade price is likely to continue to fall. When these conditions are met, traders may look to sell the trade at the current market price or at a slightly higher price if they anticipate a spike in the price.
It’s important to note that this is just one aspect of the strategy, traders should also consider other factors such as the market conditions, technical indicators, and the overall trend of the forex before making a trade. Additionally, traders should have a risk management plan in place to protect their capital.
Outside Day Trading Strategy Pros & Cons
Pros
- The ability to quickly identify potential trend changes: The outside day trading strategy is designed to identify when a forex price is moving outside of its previous day’s trading range, which can indicate a potential change in trend.
- Potential for quick profits: By buying and selling forex within the same trading day, day traders can take advantage of short-term price movements and potentially make quick profits.
- Flexibility: Outside day trading can be applied to a variety of markets, such as stocks, futures, and currencies, providing traders with a range of opportunities to profit.
Cons
- High risk: Day trading in general carries a high level of risk and outside day trading is no exception. Traders may experience significant losses, especially if they do not have a well-defined risk management plan in place.
- Requires discipline and focus: Successful day trading requires traders to be highly disciplined and focused, as they need to make quick decisions based on market fluctuations.
- Requires a deep understanding of market dynamics: To be successful with outside day trading, traders need to have a thorough understanding of market dynamics, technical analysis, and the forex currency pair that they are trading.
- Capital requirement: Day trading can require significant capital to be able to withstand the volatility and potential losses.
- The strategy doesn’t work in all markets: The strategy may not work well in markets that are not trending or in markets that are experiencing high volatility.
Overall, outside day trading strategy can be a profitable approach, but it requires discipline, focus, and a deep understanding of the markets. Additionally, it carries a high level of risk and requires significant capital. It’s important to weigh the pros and cons carefully before deciding to use this strategy, and to have a well-defined risk management plan in place.
Conclusion
In conclusion, outside day trading is a popular strategy among investors who seek to make quick profits by buying and selling currency pairs within the same trading day. The strategy involves identifying potential trend changes by looking for price movements outside of a previous day’s trading range. This approach can be challenging and requires discipline, as well as a thorough understanding of market dynamics and technical analysis.
However, it is important to note that outside day trading, like any day trading, carries a high level of risk. Therefore, traders should be prepared to accept significant losses and have the necessary capital to sustain those losses. Additionally, it is crucial to have a thorough understanding of market dynamics and technical analysis before implementing this strategy.
Before starting with this strategy, it is important to weigh the pros and cons carefully and have a well-defined risk management plan in place. It’s also important to keep in mind that the strategy may not work well in markets that are not trending or in markets that are experiencing high volatility.
Overall, outside day trading can be a profitable approach for those who are willing to take on the risk and put in the time and effort to understand the markets. However, it’s important to approach it with caution and only invest what one can afford to lose.


Self-confessed Forex Geek spending my days researching and testing everything forex related. I have many years of experience in the forex industry having reviewed thousands of forex robots, brokers, strategies, courses and more. I share my knowledge with you for free to help you learn more about the crazy world of forex trading! Read more about me.