Daily Swing Trading Routine
Establish a consistent swing trading routine using Ape AI for setup analysis and trade management.
⏱️ Time: 30-45 minutes daily 💰 Risk Level: Moderate to High 📱 Platform: iOS & Web 👤 Best for: Active traders holding 2-10 day positions 🦍 Recommended Companion: Maverick (momentum/swing focus)
What You'll Learn
How to build a consistent daily swing trading routine
How to use Ape AI for swing trade setups
How to manage multiple swing positions
How to prepare for the next trading day
How to balance swing trading with a full-time job
What is Swing Trading?
Swing Trading vs Other Styles
Swing Trading:
Hold period: 2-10 days typically
Captures short-term trends/swings
Not watching all day
Technical + catalyst driven
5-15 trades per month
vs Day Trading:
Day trading: In and out same day
Requires full attention during market hours
More trades, smaller moves
Higher stress, faster decisions
vs Investing:
Investing: Hold months to years
Fundamental driven
Less active management
Longer-term outlook
Why Swing Trading:
✅ Works with a full-time job
✅ Less stressful than day trading
✅ Captures bigger moves than scalping
✅ Can use both stocks and options
✅ Better risk/reward than day trading
✅ More opportunities than long-term investing
Before You Start
Prerequisites
✅ Trading Knowledge
3+ months stock trading experience
Understand technical analysis basics
Familiar with support/resistance
Know how to read volume
✅ Account Setup
Minimum $5,000 account (recommended)
Portfolio Margin or $25k+ (if day trading too)
Access to extended hours (optional)
Fast broker execution
✅ Risk Management
Risk 1-2% per position
Max 3-5 positions at once
Position sizing calculator ready
Stop losses mandatory
✅ Time Commitment
30 min pre-market (6:30-9:30am ET)
15 min at open (9:30-10:00am ET)
15 min at close (3:45-4:15pm ET)
Weekend research (1-2 hours)
Tools You'll Need
Ape AI (for analysis and setups)
Watchlist with 20-30 stocks
Price alerts set up
Trading journal
Risk calculator
Daily Routine Overview
Timeline for Swing Traders
Pre-Market (6:30-9:00am ET):
15 min: Review overnight news
10 min: Check existing positions
15 min: Scan for new setups
10 min: Prepare entry/exit orders
Market Open (9:30-10:00am ET):
First 30 min: Monitor price action
Execute planned entries
Adjust stops if needed
No impulsive trades
During Market Hours:
Set price alerts for key levels
Don't watch constantly
Check 2-3 times max
Focus on your job/life
Market Close (3:45-4:15pm ET):
Review P&L
Update trading journal
Plan for tomorrow
Adjust watchlist
After Hours (6:00-8:00pm):
Deep research if needed
Earnings review
Scan for new ideas
Relax and disconnect
Weekend (Saturday/Sunday):
1-2 hours: Weekly review
Scan for setups
Plan week ahead
Journal review
Step 1: Pre-Market Routine (6:30-9:00am)
Review Overnight News (15 min)
Check these sources:
1. Macro Events
Futures direction (SPY, QQQ, DIA)
Economic calendar (Fed, jobs data, CPI)
International markets (Europe, Asia)
Sector rotation
2. Stock-Specific News
Earnings releases (pre-market)
Analyst upgrades/downgrades
FDA approvals, deals, M&A
Insider buying/selling
3. Market Sentiment
VIX level (fear gauge)
Bond yields
Dollar strength
Crypto movements
Ask Maverick:
Maverick's Morning Brief:
Check Your Existing Positions (10 min)
For each open position:
Review:
Current price vs entry
Approaching stop or target?
Thesis still valid?
Any news overnight?
Adjust stops to breakeven?
In Ape AI:
Go to Portfolio tab
View each swing position
Tap ticker for latest analysis
Check for price alerts triggered
Ask Maverick about each position:
Maverick's Position Review:
Scan for New Setups (15 min)
Use your watchlist strategically:
In Ape AI Watchlist:
Go to Watchlist tab
Review your 20-30 swing candidates
Look for setups approaching entry
What to look for:
Stocks near breakout levels
Pullbacks to support in uptrends
Volume increasing
Catalyst upcoming (earnings, FDA, etc.)
Technical patterns forming (flags, triangles)
Ask Maverick for swing setups:
Or target specific stocks:
Maverick's Setup Scanner:
Prepare Entry Orders (10 min)
For each planned entry:
Set up conditional orders:
Buy stop at breakout level
Or limit order at pullback level
Already have stop loss calculated
Already have target calculated
Example Pre-Market Order Prep:
💡 Tip: Have all orders ready to go BEFORE market open. Don't scramble during opening volatility!
Step 2: Market Open Routine (9:30-10:00am)
The First 30 Minutes
9:30-9:35am: Observe
Don't trade immediately
Watch how market opens
Is it following through on pre-market?
Any surprise moves?
9:35-9:45am: Execute Plan
If setup triggers, execute
If price action weak, stand aside
Follow your pre-market plan
No impulsive changes
9:45-10:00am: Confirm & Set Alerts
Set stops on new positions
Set price alerts for watchlist
Final check on existing positions
Then STEP AWAY
Executing Your Planned Entries
From Maverick's setup:
MSFT breaks $387 → Execute
Tap "Execute trade" on setup card
Verify order details
Confirm purchase
IMMEDIATELY set stop loss
After Entry:
Setting Up for the Day
After opening rush:
Set price alerts for:
Existing position targets
Existing position stops (backup)
Watchlist breakout levels
Watchlist breakdown levels
Then:
✅ Close trading app
✅ Focus on work/life
✅ Trust your plan
⚠️ Don't watch intraday noise
💡 Key Rule: After 10:00am, you're DONE for the day unless an alert triggers. Go live your life!
Step 3: Intraday Management (10am-3:45pm)
Managing Without Watching
Set and forget strategy:
Use Price Alerts:
When alert triggers:
Check price action
Refer to your plan
Execute if needed
Don't second-guess
Mid-Day Check (12:00pm - Optional)
Only if you have 5 minutes:
Quick portfolio glance
Any major news?
Positions near targets/stops?
No action unless critical
Ask Maverick for update:
Maverick's Mid-Day Update:
Handling Alerts
Alert: MSFT hit $398 (profit target)
Steps:
Open app
Check current price ($398.20)
Sell 50% of position
Move stop to $392 on remaining shares
Let rest run to $402
Alert: AMD hit $382 (stop loss)
Steps:
Open app
Confirm price below stop
Sell entire position immediately
Accept the loss
Move on
Step 4: Market Close Routine (3:45-4:15pm)
End of Day Review (30 min)
15 minutes before close (3:45pm):
Check:
Are you holding positions overnight?
Any earnings after hours?
Any positions too risky to hold?
Exit anything you're uncomfortable with
Ask yourself:
"If I wasn't in this position, would I enter now?"
If NO → Consider closing
After Close (4:00-4:15pm)
Portfolio Review:
In Ape AI:
Go to Portfolio tab
Review each position
Check P&L for the day
Note what worked/didn't work
Daily Journal Entry:
Ask Maverick for Daily Recap
Maverick's Daily Feedback:
Step 5: Weekly Routine (Weekend)
Saturday Morning Research (1-2 hours)
Weekly Review:
1. Performance Analysis
2. Watchlist Refresh
Ask Maverick:
Maverick's Weekly Scan:
3. Update Your Watchlist
Remove dead setups
Add new ideas from scan
Organize by priority
Set price alerts
4. Plan Your Week
Common Swing Trading Scenarios
Scenario 1: Position Goes Against You
What happened:
Entered MSFT at $387
Broke down to $380 the next day
Down 1.8%
What to do: ✅ Check if stop loss hit ✅ If yes: Exit immediately, no questions ✅ If no: Re-evaluate thesis
News changed?
Technical breakdown?
Still valid or hope?
If thesis broken:
Exit even if stop not hit
Preserve capital
Find better setup
Scenario 2: Quick Profit in 1 Day
What happened:
Entered NVDA at $500
Gapped up to $515 next day
Hit profit target in 1 day
What to do: ✅ Take profit! ✅ Don't wait for "more" ✅ Target hit = exit ✅ Find next setup
Why:
Fast profits are best profits
Don't get greedy
Reduces overnight risk
Frees capital for next trade
Scenario 3: Holding Over Weekend
What happened:
Position up 3% on Friday
Target not hit yet
Weekend coming
Decision framework:
Scenario 4: Multiple Positions Near Targets
What happened:
3 positions all near profit targets
Portfolio up 5% this week
Should you close all?
What to do: ✅ Take partial profits on all ✅ Trail stops on rest ✅ Lock in gains ⚠️ Don't let winners become losers
Risk management:
Protect profits
Reduce exposure
Bank some gains
Let a little run
Risk Management for Swing Traders
Position Sizing Formula
Calculate risk per trade:
Position sizing rules:
Risk 1-2% of account per trade
Max 3-5 positions at once
Never more than 10% total risk
Reduce size if uncertain
Stop Loss Strategy
Types of stops:
1. Technical Stop
Below support level
Below key moving average
Below recent swing low
2. Percentage Stop
2-3% from entry (tight)
5-7% from entry (normal)
8-10% from entry (wide)
3. Time Stop
Exit if no progress in 3-5 days
Setup invalidated by time
Capital better used elsewhere
4. Trailing Stop
Trail by 50% of gain
Or trail under each higher low
Locks in profits
Portfolio Heat Management
Track total exposure:
Don't exceed:
5% total portfolio risk at once
5 open positions at once
3 positions in same sector
Tools and Resources
Use Ape AI Features
Watchlist Management:
Add 20-30 swing candidates
Organize by priority
Set price alerts on all
Review weekly
Chat with Maverick:
Daily setup scans
Position reviews
Exit guidance
Strategy feedback
Portfolio Tracking:
Real-time P&L
Position exposure
Risk metrics
Performance history
External Tools
Charting:
TradingView (free/pro)
Think or Swim
Webull
Scanning:
Finviz (stock screener)
TradingView screener
Your broker's scanner
Journaling:
Edgewonk
TraderSync
Excel/Google Sheets
News:
Benzinga Pro
Twitter/X (fintwit)
Yahoo Finance
CNBC
What's Next?
Improve Your Swing Trading
Related Workflows:
Weekend Research Routine → - Deep dive for Sunday prep
Earnings Season Trading → - Trade earnings setups
Managing Options Positions → - Add options to swings
Advanced Topics:
Ask Maverick
Success Checklist
✅ I have a consistent pre-market routine
✅ I prepare entries before market opens
✅ I don't watch charts all day
✅ I use price alerts for management
✅ I journal every trade
✅ I risk 1-2% per position max
✅ I have 3-5 positions max at once
✅ I take profits at targets
✅ I cut losses at stops
✅ I review my week every weekend
Remember: Swing trading is about consistency, not perfection. You don't need to catch every move. Focus on high-probability setups, manage risk religiously, and let the edge play out over time. 📈
The best swing traders are boringly consistent. Build the routine, trust the process, stick to the plan.
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