"I believe that trading is a job, not an entertainment or a hobby," Dmitry Shagardin, a leading analyst at FBS Inc.

Dmitry Shagardin graduated from St. Petersburg State University of Economics and Finance (Finec) in 2008, having studied at the Money and Securities Department. He has been actively trading on the Russian stock market since 2006, and on the foreign exchange market since 2008. In the company FBS Holdings Inc. since its foundation, he set up the work of the analytical department from the ground up.

Y.A.: Dmitry, hello! And immediately our traditional question for guests. How did you get into the exchanges and why did you decide to stay?
D.S.: It all started at university. The question of choosing a specialty came up and, as I remember now, at that time Rosneft was floating on the market, whose shares I decided to buy. I went to the bank, filled out an application, installed trading terminal And so it went...
During my studies I chose the department "Money and Securities" and during my 4th year I got a job in an investment company, where I worked my way up from a specialist of the department of collective investments to a specialist of the asset management department. In 2009 I was offered to head the analytical department at FBS. I switched to the foreign exchange market, which I still do.

Y.A.: You, of all people, know the difference between the stock market and the currency market. Which one was closer to you in the end?
D.S.: The markets are different, undoubtedly. At the moment the foreign exchange market is closer to me - my job requires it. I like its dynamics, technical analysis "in action", I like the market reaction to the fundamental news, the scale of this market with a huge flow of news and macroeconomic indicators affecting the behavior of quotations.

Y.A.: If you were to give advice to a new trader, which market to start with, what would you advise and why?
D.S.: Whatever works best for you. The main condition is to start with a demo account. Work out your strategy for at least six months, and treat trading with complete seriousness: the market does not forgive mistakes.
To understand the foreign exchange market, you need a very good understanding of the global economy. Too many factors influence currency rates. In addition to fundamental knowledge, you need a good understanding of methods technical analysiswhich works best in the foreign exchange market.

Y.A.: And what is important for the stock market?
D.S.: It is necessary to understand the specifics of the company whose shares are purchased and the specifics of the industry in which the company operates. It is again a fundamental analysis, but more specific. Besides, if we are talking about the Russian stock market, there is often an insider that can instantly move the quotes.
In addition, the liquidity of the market is quite different. The leverage opportunities in the stock market are significantly limited, and so are the potential losses. There is one law at work here: the higher the risk, the higher the return, as well as the higher the probability of losing/earning money.
In the foreign exchange market leverage allows you to start trading with a minimum deposit, but this leverage can play a very cruel trick. To work successfully on the stock market you need a large enough capital to form a portfolio of securities.

J.A.: Do you have any favorite Forex and Stock instruments?
D.S.: My favorite instrument is EUR/USD, the most liquid and the most traded instrument on the market. For the last couple of months I have been looking at USD/JPY. And on the stock market... it used to be shares of RAO UES, before the reorganization. It was the most profitable at that time, so it was my favorite one (laughs).

Y.A.: Often, when trading on the stock exchanges, especially the Russian ones, traders are afraid of short deals. Is the fear of "shorts" reflected in trading on the foreign exchange market?
D.S.: This is exactly one of the big advantages and one of the peculiarities of the foreign exchange market. You open a trade in the direction in which you think it should be opened. I absolutely agree about short positions on Russian platforms, especially after they were temporarily banned in the fall of 2008 at the height of the crisis.

Y.A.: Then the question is provocative: everyone knows in the market that what the crowd chooses does not always work well. Does such a set of popular indicators not affect the quality of analytics?
D.S.: Just to take this nuance into account, we turned to Ishimoku. Now in our reviews we try to focus more and more on the forecasts of the leading banks and large investment houses that make the "weather" in the currency market.

Y.A.: We're done with technical indicators, let's talk about fundamental ones. What news would you never miss when trading Forex?
D.S.: From the periodic weekly - Jobless Claims - U.S. unemployment claims: well moving the market and generally determining the state of the largest economy in the world. GDP - Gross Domestic Product and, of course, interest rates.

Y.A.: Do you associate your future life with trading? Or is there a possibility that you will change your profession?
D.S.: I believe that Russia has great potential for the development of both the stock market and the currency market. Specialists in this field will only gain in value. I will be improving, gaining experience and wisdom. In addition, unfortunately, the financial literacy of the population is still at a very low level, and our task is to correct this situation.

Y.A.: If you had the opportunity, what financial education reform would you do first?
D.S.: I think you have to start at school. I remember that there were very few classes in economics. There was little information about stock exchanges, even at university, because teachers were usually rarely active participants in the stock market or the stock market. foreign exchange market.

J.A.: Do you think it is possible to combine productively the profession of a trader with the vocation of the same teacher?
D.S.: If it's a securities instructor - not just you can, but you should! When I lectured in graduate school, my personal experience in trading and understanding of the market helped me a lot. And students had a different attitude, seeing that the words were backed up by concrete facts, not just a textbook.

Y.A.: And if we consider other professions... Who has more opportunities to become a stable earning trader?
D.S.: I believe that trading is a job, not an entertainment or a hobby. The market in absolute majority of cases punishes for not taking it seriously. Anyone can become a trader, the main thing is to understand that it is your thing.

Y.A.: Who do you think a professional trader is?
D.S.: I don't include myself to this kind of person, it would be a little difficult to answer. But it seems to me that this is a person of 28 years of age or older, very competent and structured. He is independent and self-organized, always keeps his hand on the pulse... The main word here is "self-organization. Trading is a very heavy load on a person's mental state, so you have to set yourself up and organize yourself properly.

Y.A.: Do you think it's easier for a man or a woman trader to become such a pro?
D.S.: A man. You need nerves of iron. At least at first, while you learn the market and delve into its psychology. But, of course, there are also successful female traders, just fewer of them.

Y.A.: And finally, traditionally, what would you wish to our readers who are just starting to try themselves in the profession of a trader? And why should they start working with your company?
D.S.: I would like, of course, to wish newcomers success. You should not lose your head from your first victories in the market. Trading - is a real job, which requires diligence, maximum attention and constant self-improvement. Learning to make competent technical analysis and correctly interpret fundamental analysis is just the tip of the iceberg for a real trader. The main thing is not to stop on the achieved and, at last, to work out own profitable trading strategy.

As for the brokerage company FBS Holdings Inc., it is worth to start trading with it at least because it offers favorable trading conditions and high quality service. We adhere to the principle of individual approach to the client and we are always ready to help each of our traders. Every day our company works to make trading with us as comfortable as possible, and most importantly, profitable.

Y.A.: Thank you for the interesting dialogue, Dmitry.
D.S.: I hope it was interesting. Thank you for your attention.