[Anonymous]

Personally I do not trade stocks and do not really know why a retail trader would want to. Especially if you are short term trader (read day trader). The account requirements are excessive, the tax implications are worse than futures (taxed at a higher rate), and you can't short on a down tick.

Having said that, I do understand that many people fear the futures markets. Even today, young traders , or new older ones, are warned to stay away from futures or, "you may end up with a dump truck full of corn on your front lawn". The idea of not being out by expiration and having to deliver, or take delivery of some product still worries many people.

As far as Market Profile goes, it should work in any freely traded market. I would be a little skeptical of some penny stocks, because of over-manipulation related to illiquidity issues.

BTW, the inherent nature of the stock market is to rise. This goes a long way for those who want to be optimistic and don't understand selling something they don't own in the first place. Before you ask, here are some reasons:

1. Companies use the stock market to raise capital. They use stock as defacto currency in acquisitions. Hence they need prices to go up.

2. Because stocks do have a monetary value, they need to keep pace with any rise in inflation. (yes, I know that inflation is nothing more than an increase in the money supply, but most people get this wrong. And assume rising prices is inflation. In truth it is not. Inflation may bring rising prices but it doesn't have too).

3. The role that mutual funds pay in a persons ability to retire at a certain predefined age is such that mutual funds need higher prices. The companies that do not pay workers past retirement, want those higher prices. This allows older workers (the ones that have higher salaries0 to retire, and they can higher younger workers at less cost. Government, which only want to provide the smallest "safety net" needs prices to rise so retirees need less subsidies.

4. Foreign capital seeks the highest rate of return. Rising stock market makes for attractive capital. The dollar is strong therefore as foreign capital enters an buys dollars to buy stocks. Strong dollar less inflationary. See 1 and 2.

There are more reasons but you get my point. As far as I am concerned, this is the reason to invest in the stock market and trade the futures market.