Last Updated on 11 September, 2023 by Samuelsson

Trading has become a popular way for individuals to make money in the financial markets. But with so many trading strategies available, it can be hard to know which ones to focus on. In this article, we will uncover 100 uncommon trading strategies that many people may not be aware of. These strategies range from simple to complex, and can be used by both novice and experienced traders alike. We’ll explore the fundamentals of each strategy, how to apply it to the markets, and potential risks and rewards associated with each one. By the end of this article, readers will have a better understanding of the various strategies available to them and be able to make informed decisions when trading. So, let’s dive right in and uncover the secrets of these 100 uncommon trading strategies.

100 Trading strategies – A list

1. Momentum Trading
2. Position Trading
3. Swing Trading
4. Arbitrage Trading
5. Index Trading
6. Currency Trading
7. Pairs Trading
8. Day Trading
9. Scalping
10. Reverse Trading

11. Fading
12. Reversal Trading
13. Momentum Breakout Trading
14. Gap Trading
15. Contrarian Investing
16. News Trading
17. High Frequency Trading
18. Fibonacci Trading
19. Options Trading
20. Options Spreads
21. Butterfly Spreads
22. Iron Condors
23. Straddles
24. Strangles
25. Credit Spreads
26. Debit Spreads
27. Ratio Spreads
28. Double Diagonals
29. Put Spreads
30. Bull Put Spreads
31. Bear Call Spreads
32. Covered Calls
33. Collars
34. Covered Combinations
35. Protective Collars
36. Calendar Spreads
37. Portfolio Insurance
38. Index Arbitrage
39. Equity Index Arbitrage
40. Convertible Arbitrage
41. Merger Arbitrage
42. Statistical Arbitrage
43. Risk Arbitrage
44. Volatility Arbitrage
45. Fixed Income Arbitrage
46. Market Neutral Strategies
47. Tax Loss Selling
48. Swing Trades
49. Horizontal Trades
50. Delta Neutral Trades
51. Gamma Neutral Trades
52. Theta Neutral Trades
53. Grid Trading
54. Range Trading
55. Trend Trading
56. Mean Reversion Trading
57. Correlation Trading
58. Spread Trading
59. Volume Weighted Average Price (VWAP) Trading
60. Block Trading
61. Dark Pool Trading
62. Contrarian Trading
63. Value Investing
64. Momentum Investing
65. Index Investing
66. Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs)
67. Short Selling
68. Buying on Margin
69. Selling Short Against the Box
70. Forex Carry Trade
71. Forex Options Trading
72. Forex Scalping
73. Forex Pairs Trading
74. Forex News Trading
75. Commodity Trading
76. Commodity Spread Trading
77. Commodity Options Trading
78. Commodity Futures Trading
79. Futures Spread Trading
80. Commodity Swaps
81. Crypto Trading
82. Crypto Arbitrage
83. Crypto Options Trading
84. Crypto Futures Trading
85. Crypto Mining
86. Crypto Lending
87. Crypto Staking
88. Crypto Airdrops
89. Gold Trading
90. Silver Trading
91. Precious Metals Trading
92. Commodity ETFs
93. Real Estate Investing
94. Mortgage Investing
95. Micro Investing
96. Crowdfunding Investing
97. Peer-to-Peer Lending
98. Systematic Investing
99. Algorithmic Trading
100. Quantitative Trading

We’ll start by looking at some of the most well-known trading strategies, such as momentum trading, position trading, swing trading, and arbitrage trading. Momentum trading involves taking advantage of short-term price movements in the market. Position trading is a longer-term strategy that involves holding onto a position for a period of time. Swing trading is a strategy that focuses on taking advantage of short-term price movements on either the up or down side. And arbitrage trading involves taking advantage of price discrepancies between two or more markets.

We’ll then move on to some less common strategies such as index trading, currency trading, pairs trading, day trading, scalping, reverse trading, fading, and reversal trading. Index trading involves tracking a basket of stocks or other securities. Currency trading involves taking advantage of movements in the exchange rate between two currencies. Pairs trading involves taking a position on two correlated securities. Day trading involves taking advantage of short-term price movements during the day. Scalping is a strategy that involves taking advantage of small price movements in the market. Reverse trading involves taking the opposite side of a trade when the market moves against you. And fading involves taking a position that is the opposite of current market sentiment.

We’ll also discuss strategies such as news trading, high frequency trading, Fibonacci trading, options trading, and options spreads. News trading involves taking advantage of market-moving news events. High frequency trading involves placing a large number of trades in a short period of time. Fibonacci trading involves taking advantage of price patterns based on the Fibonacci number sequence. Options trading involves taking a position on the underlying asset, but with the added benefit of limited risk. And options spreads involve taking two or more positions on the same asset, but with different strike prices.

Lastly, we’ll discuss some more complex strategies such as portfolio insurance, index arbitrage, equity index arbitrage, convertible arbitrage, merger arbitrage, statistical arbitrage, risk arbitrage, volatility arbitrage, fixed income arbitrage, market neutral strategies, tax loss selling, swing trades, horizontal trades, delta neutral trades, gamma neutral trades, theta neutral trades, grid trading, range trading, trend trading, mean reversion trading, correlation trading, spread trading, VWAP trading, block trading, dark pool trading, contrarian trading, value investing, momentum investing, index investing, exchange traded funds (ETFs), short selling, buying on margin, selling short against the box, forex carry trade, forex options trading, forex scalping, forex pairs trading, forex news trading, commodity trading, commodity spread trading, commodity options trading, commodity futures trading, futures spread trading, commodity swaps, crypto trading, crypto arbitrage, crypto options trading, crypto futures trading, crypto mining, crypto lending, crypto staking, crypto airdrops, gold trading, silver trading, precious metals trading, commodity ETFs, real estate investing, mortgage investing, micro investing, crowdfunding investing, peer-to-peer lending, systematic investing, algorithmic trading, and quantitative trading.

By the end of this article, readers will have a deeper understanding of the various trading strategies available and be able to make more informed decisions when trading. So let’s get started and uncover the secrets of these 100 uncommon trading strategies.

Explained

1. Momentum Trading: A trading strategy that looks to capitalize on the continuance of existing market trends. It involves buying stocks that have recently had a sustained increase in price and selling those that have recently had a sustained decrease in price.

2. Position Trading: A trading strategy that focuses on longer-term investments, meaning investors are looking to hold onto stocks for a longer period of time. Position traders typically look for stocks with strong fundamentals and technicals that they can hold onto for weeks or months.

3. Swing Trading: A trading strategy that looks to take advantage of short-term price movements in the market. Swing traders typically look to buy stocks that have had a recent price dip and sell them when they have reached a peak.

4. Arbitrage Trading: A trading strategy that looks to capitalize on the difference in price between two markets. For example, a trader may look to capitalize on the difference in price between the same stock on two different exchanges.

5. Index Trading: A trading strategy that looks to track the performance of a stock index. Index traders typically look to buy and sell stocks that are part of the index, or buy and sell the index itself.

6. Currency Trading: A trading strategy that looks to capitalize on the fluctuations in the exchange rate between two different currencies. Currency traders typically look to buy and sell currencies when they are undervalued or overvalued.

7. Pairs Trading: A trading strategy that looks to capitalize on the relative performance between two different stocks. Pairs traders typically look to buy one stock when it is undervalued in comparison to another and sell the other when it is overvalued.

8. Day Trading: A trading strategy that looks to take advantage of short-term price movements. Day traders typically look to buy and sell stocks multiple times within a single day, in order to capitalize on small price movements.

9. Scalping: A trading strategy that looks to capitalize on small price movements. Scalpers typically look to buy and sell stocks multiple times within a single day, in order to capitalize on small price movements.

10. Reverse Trading: A trading strategy that looks to capitalize on market reversals. Reverse traders typically look for stocks that have had a recent price dip and buy them when they have reached a peak.

11. Fading: A trading strategy that looks to capitalize on short-term price reversals. Faders typically look to buy and sell stocks multiple times within a single day, in order to capitalize on small price movements.

12. Reversal Trading: A trading strategy that looks to capitalize on short-term price reversals. Reversal traders typically look to buy and sell stocks multiple times within a single day, in order to capitalize on small price movements.

13. Momentum Breakout Trading: A trading strategy that looks to capitalize on the continuance of existing market trends. It involves buying stocks that have recently had a sustained increase in price and selling those that have recently had a sustained decrease in price.

14. Gap Trading: A trading strategy that looks to capitalize on price gaps in the market. Gap traders typically look for stocks that have had a sudden price spike or dip, and then buy or sell the stock in anticipation of a continuation of the price movement.

15. Contrarian Investing: A trading strategy that looks to capitalize on stocks that have been oversold or undervalued. Contrarian investors typically look to buy stocks that have had a recent price dip and sell them when they have reached a peak.

16. News Trading: This trading strategy involves taking advantage of news events and market reactions to them. This involves recognizing and predicting how the markets will react to news events and then trading accordingly.

17. High Frequency Trading: This trading strategy involves using algorithms and high speed computers to execute trades quickly and efficiently in the markets. This allows traders to take advantage of small price movements and quickly enter and exit positions.

18. Fibonacci Trading: This trading strategy uses the Fibonacci number sequence to identify support and resistance levels in the markets. By recognizing these levels, traders can identify potential entry and exit points in the markets.

19. Options Trading: This trading strategy involves buying and selling options contracts to take advantage of price movements in the markets. This can include buying calls and puts, writing covered calls, and more.

20. Options Spreads: This trading strategy involves the simultaneous buying and selling of different options contracts to create a spread. This allows traders to take advantage of different price movements in the markets.

21. Butterfly Spreads: This trading strategy involves creating a spread using options contracts that have different strike prices and expirations. This allows traders to take advantage of different price movements in the markets.

22. Straddles: This trading strategy involves buying both a call and a put option with the same strike price and expiration date. This allows traders to take advantage of different price movements in the markets.

23. Strangles: This trading strategy involves buying both a call and a put option with different strike prices and the same expiration date. This allows traders to take advantage of different price movements in the markets.

24. Credit Spreads: This trading strategy involves selling one option and buying another option with a higher strike price. This allows traders to take advantage of different price movements in the markets.

25. Debit Spreads: This trading strategy involves buying one option and selling another option with a lower strike price. This allows traders to take advantage of different price movements in the markets.

26. Debit Spreads – Debit spreads involve buying an option and simultaneously writing another option with the same expiration date but a different strike price. The cost of the spread is the difference between the two options, i.e. the debit. Debit spreads are used to limit losses and provide a greater chance of success.

27. Ratio Spreads involve buying and selling a combination of options with different strike prices in order to create a spread with a higher leverage than a single option.

28. Double Diagonals are spreads where both the call and put options have different strike prices and expiration dates, creating a diagonal spread with more risk and reward potential than a single option.

29. Put Spreads involve buying and selling two puts with different strike prices, creating a spread with limited risk and reward potential.

30. Bull Put Spreads involve buying and selling two puts with different strike prices and the same expiration date in order to create a spread with limited risk and reward potential.

31. Bear Call Spreads involve buying and selling two calls with different strike prices and the same expiration date in order to create a spread with limited risk and reward potential.

32. Covered Calls are strategies where investors buy a stock and then sell a call option against it, creating a spread with limited risk and reward potential.

33. Collars involve buying a stock, selling a call option and buying a put option against it, creating a spread with limited risk and reward potential.

34. Covered Combinations involve buying a stock and then buying and selling a call and put option against it, creating a spread with limited risk and reward potential.

35. Protective Collars involve buying a stock and then buying and selling a call and put option against it, creating a spread with limited risk and reward potential as well as downside protection.

36. Calendar Spreads involve buying and selling an option with the same strike price but different expiration dates, creating a spread with limited risk and reward potential.

37. Portfolio Insurance involves buying and selling options on an underlying portfolio to reduce risk and increase returns.

38. Index Arbitrage involves buying and selling a combination of stocks and options in order to benefit from price discrepancies between different markets.

39. Equity Index Arbitrage involves buying and selling a combination of stocks and options in order to benefit from price discrepancies between different equity indexes.

40. Convertible Arbitrage involves buying and selling a combination of convertible bonds and stocks in order to benefit from price discrepancies between the two.

41. Merger Arbitrage involves buying and selling a combination of stocks and options in order to benefit from price discrepancies between two merging companies.

42. Statistical Arbitrage involves buying and selling a combination of stocks and options in order to benefit from price discrepancies based on historical data.

43. Risk Arbitrage involves buying and selling a combination of stocks and options in order to benefit from price discrepancies based on perceived risk.

44. Volatility Arbitrage involves buying and selling a combination of stocks and options in order to benefit from price discrepancies based on perceived volatility.

45. Fixed Income Arbitrage involves buying and selling a combination of bonds and stocks in order to benefit from price discrepancies between different markets.

46. Market Neutral Strategies involve buying and selling a combination of stocks and options in order to benefit from price discrepancies without taking a directional view on the market.

47. Tax Loss Selling involves selling a losing investment in order to realize a tax loss, which can then be used to offset a gain elsewhere in the portfolio.

48. Swing Trades involve buying and selling a combination of stocks and options in order to benefit from short-term price movements.

49. Horizontal Trades involve buying and selling a combination of options with the same expiration dates and different strike prices in order to benefit from price discrepancies between different markets.

50. Delta Neutral Trades involve buying and selling a combination of stocks and options in order to benefit from price discrepancies without taking a directional view on the market.

51. Gamma Neutral Trades involve buying and selling a combination of stocks and options in order to benefit from price discrepancies without taking a directional view on the market.

52. Theta Neutral Trades involve buying and selling a combination of stocks and options in order to benefit from price discrepancies without taking a directional view on the market.

53. Grid Trading involves buying and selling a combination of stocks and options in order to benefit from price discrepancies within a predetermined grid.

54. Range Trading involves buying and selling a combination of stocks and options in order to benefit from price discrepancies within a predetermined range.

55. Trend Trading involves buying and selling a combination of stocks and options in order to benefit from price discrepancies within a predetermined trend.

56. Mean Reversion Trading involves buying and selling a combination of stocks and options in order to benefit from price discrepancies caused by a mean reversion of the underlying asset.

57. Correlation Trading involves buying and selling a combination of stocks and options in order to benefit from price discrepancies between assets with a high degree of correlation.

58. Spread Trading involves buying and selling a combination of stocks and options in order to benefit from price discrepancies between different markets.

59. Volume Weighted Average Price (VWAP) Trading involves buying and selling a combination of stocks and options in order to benefit from price discrepancies between different markets.

60. Block Trading involves buying and selling a large volume of stocks and options in order to benefit from price discrepancies between different markets.

61. Dark Pool Trading involves buying and selling a combination of stocks and options in order to benefit from price discrepancies between different markets in the dark pools.

62. Contrarian Trading involves buying and selling a combination of stocks and options in order to benefit from price discrepancies caused by investor sentiment.

63. Value Investing involves buying and selling a combination of stocks and options in order to benefit from price discrepancies caused by undervalued assets.

64. Momentum Investing involves buying and selling a combination of stocks and options in order to benefit from price discrepancies caused by momentum in the underlying asset.

65. Index Investing involves buying and selling a combination of stocks and options in order to benefit from price discrepancies between different indexes.

66. Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) involve buying and selling a combination of stocks and options in order to benefit from price discrepancies between different markets.

67. Short Selling involves selling a stock that is not owned in order to benefit from a decline in the price of the underlying asset.

68. Buying on Margin involves borrowing money from a broker to buy stocks, creating a spread with increased risk and reward potential.

69. Selling Short Against the Box involves selling a stock that is owned in order to benefit from a decline in the price of the underlying asset.

70. Forex Carry Trade involves buying and selling a combination of currencies in order to benefit from the difference in interest rates between two currencies.

71. Forex Options Trading involves buying and selling a combination of currency options in order to benefit from price discrepancies between different markets.

72. Forex Scalping involves buying and selling a combination of currencies in order to benefit from small price movements over a short period of time.

73. Forex Pairs Trading involves buying and selling a combination of currencies in order to benefit from price discrepancies between different currency pairs.

74. Forex News Trading involves buying and selling a combination of currencies in order to benefit from price discrepancies caused by economic news.

75. Commodity Trading involves buying and selling a combination of commodities in order to benefit from price discrepancies between different markets.

76. Commodity Spread Trading involves buying and selling a combination of commodities with different expiration dates in order to benefit from price discrepancies between different markets.

77. Commodity Options Trading involves buying and selling a combination of commodity options in order to benefit from price discrepancies between different markets.

78. Commodity Futures Trading involves buying and selling a combination of futures contracts in order to benefit from price discrepancies between different markets.

79. Futures Spread Trading involves buying and selling a combination of futures contracts with different expiration dates in order to benefit from price discrepancies between different markets.

80. Commodity Swaps involve buying and selling a combination of commodities in order to benefit from price discrepancies between different markets.

81. Crypto Trading involves buying and selling a combination of cryptocurrencies in order to benefit from price discrepancies between different markets.

82. Crypto Arbitrage involves buying and selling a combination of cryptocurrencies in order to benefit from price discrepancies between different exchanges.

83. Crypto Options Trading involves buying and selling a combination of cryptocurrency options in order to benefit from price discrepancies between different markets.

84. Crypto Futures Trading involves buying and selling a combination of cryptocurrency futures contracts in order to benefit from price discrepancies between different markets.

85. Crypto Mining involves buying and selling a combination of cryptocurrencies in order to benefit from the newly created coins.

86. Crypto Lending involves lending out cryptocurrencies in order to benefit from the interest earned.

87. Crypto Staking involves holding cryptocurrencies in order to benefit from the newly created coins.

88. Crypto Airdrops involve receiving newly created coins in exchange for holding a certain amount of cryptocurrency.

89. Gold Trading involves buying and selling a combination of gold and other assets in order to benefit from price discrepancies between different markets.

90. Silver Trading involves buying and selling a combination of silver and other assets in order to benefit from price discrepancies between different markets.

91. Precious Metals Trading involves buying and selling a combination of precious metals and other assets in order to benefit from price discrepancies between different markets.

92. Commodity ETFs involve buying and selling a combination of commodities and other assets in order to benefit from price discrepancies between different markets.

93. Real Estate Investing involves buying and selling a combination of real estate and other assets in order to benefit from price discrepancies between different markets.

94. Mortgage Investing involves buying and selling a combination of mortgages and other assets in order to benefit from price discrepancies between different markets.

95. Micro Investing involves buying and selling a combination of small investments in order to benefit from price discrepancies between different markets.

96. Crowdfunding Investing involves buying and selling a combination of crowdfunded investments in order to benefit from price discrepancies between different markets.

97. Peer-to-Peer Lending involves buying and selling a combination of loans in order to benefit from price discrepancies between different markets.

98. Systematic Investing involves buying and selling a combination of assets according to predetermined rules in order to benefit from price discrepancies between different markets.

99. Algorithmic Trading involves buying and selling a combination of assets according to predetermined algorithms in order to benefit from price discrepancies between different markets.

100. Quantitative Trading involves buying and selling a combination of assets according to quantitative models in order to benefit from price discrepancies between different markets.