Scalping
a.k.a. Scalp, Scalper
A very short-term trading style that aims to grab small profits many times a day, holding trades for seconds to minutes.
Scalping is trading at sprint speed. A scalper might take dozens of trades a day, each aiming for just a few pips, and close out within minutes. A single trade is a scalp. Tiny profits, repeated often, are supposed to add up.
Because each target is so small, costs matter enormously: a 1-pip spread can eat a big slice of a 5-pip win. Scalpers need tight spreads, fast execution and intense focus. It is also mentally draining, and some brokers restrict it.
Ignoring costs. A strategy that wins 5 pips on average but pays 1.5 pips in spread and commission every trade is giving away nearly a third of its edge.
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