Year-end cleanup: what do you do with open positions?

Closing the year: flatten everything, or hold the positions you believe in through the holiday gaps? The decision combines tax thinking, gap risk and the psychological value of starting January clean.

Year-end cleanup: what do you do with open positions? — risk-reward diagram
A risk-reward ratio of 1 to 2

What's your practice?

  • whether you flatten or hold into the year change
  • the risk rules for year-end holds
  • the January gap that greeted a held position
Year-end cleanup: what do you do with open positions? — candlestick anatomy diagram
The parts of a candlestick: wick, body, open and close

The weekend gaps guide covers the holiday gap mechanics.

Background: Weekend gaps: why prices jump when the forex market reopens

Currencies stop trading on Friday evening, but the news doesn't. What happens to your positions and stops when the market reopens at a different price.

What is a weekend gap in forex?

A difference between Friday's closing price and the first price when the market reopens on Sunday, caused by news or events over the weekend.

Will my stop-loss protect me from a gap?

Not fully. A standard stop is triggered when the market reopens and fills at the first available price, which can be beyond the stop. Guaranteed stops, where offered, avoid this for a fee.

Read the full guide

Comments

Log in to join the discussion. Comments follow the community guidelines.

Log in to comment

Loading comments…