Yeah, the market can be a hell of a roller coaster at times. I think I originally took about a 40% + hit at first. But that was mainly in my individual brokerage account. It's still running about 30 K lighter (at today's close) than it was. My retirement accounts and my 401K, I run a lot more conservative. Granted they still took a hit. But everything did as all of this first unraveled.
I can't play in the day trading arena. I can't stay on top of it throughout the workday to do that. Like Wash was saying, you've got to stay (literally) on top of that all day long. From the opening bell, to the close. Actually it extends well before and after the market closes these days. Has for quite some time. But these days, individual investors are getting access to more and more features of the market.
Overall, I've had a good couple of (outta the park) winners, and MORE than my share of losers (ask me about offshore drilling sometime).
Throw your ideas out anytime Wash. I'll listen. I'm kind of a market junkie. From the moment I get home in the afternoon, that's all I really concentrate on until the close.
I've been dipping my toe into FedEx lately. Started when they were in the 130's. Bought a little more as they were pushed into the low teens to single digit 100's. Had to dive in even more when they got shoved down to the low 90's for that day or so. I was using some of the dough that I made off a sweet buyout late last year of a company that was called Cypress Semiconductor. They got bought by a German chipmaker. I think I came out of that one as being up about 350% overall
The COMPLETE opposite of that offshore driller that I referred too earlier. That one was a 100% loss when it was finally over. A HARD 10 K lesson learned.