Jtrader, I don’t wish to sound negative or obstructive, because you’ve asked a very pertinent question & one which will interest a great many observers….but if 10 (manual) traders were to post & reveal their ‘averages’ ranging say from 15 – 75 pips per day, what would that tell you?…..my guess would be that each of them possess a workable, defined, executable intraday strat(s) which fits their style, discipline & is honed to the unique personality of their chosen instrument…..
Experience, strat, trading times, style etc are all unique to each trader ….not to mention r/r expectations & broker(s) used. Market conditions, understanding & appreciation of the pairs personality/behaviour traits are also key in determining returns. There are so many factors which affect ‘averages’ & 2 traders punting similar pairs with mirroring strats will each differ in their day on day activity.
It can also be counter productive to reveal such stats, as I feel it could offer a false illusion of potential returns!….those who obtain & maintain a consistant ‘average’ will undoubtedly have worked, re-worked & honed their strat(s) to their pair(s) in flexible market conditions. Their discipline/patience/psycho strengths will also play a large part in their success. Some day’s will provide set ups of multi opp entries….others very few, occasionally none….all which affect the bottom line….I guess it’s a case of ‘suck it & see’…if you have a workable intraday strategy, and have tested it on a virtual a/c, then the only way of unearthing YOUR average, is to pull the trigger in a live environment!
Folks have mentioned the wide intraday ranges available on the majors, yet many fail to suck profit out on a consistant basis?!….it aint the 150+ ranges which return the averages….it’s the strat employed which will clip the pips off them!