Stocks

Hi, this is NorthRay.

Remember how last time I said I wanted to try commodities and stocks?

Well, I didn’t waste any time.

I opened my very first gold trade (XAU/USD).

And you know what? It didn’t bite me. Quite the opposite — it gave me the biggest profit of my entire demo trading journey so far.

$42.70.

From a single trade.

For someone who was celebrating 24 cents not long ago — this feels like a holiday.

I spent a long time staring at the gold chart.

Honestly? At first, it scared me.

The price moves like crazy. Long candles. Swings of $10–20 within an hour.

I kept thinking:
“This isn’t for beginners. You could lose everything in five minutes here.”

But then I remembered my rule: small steps.

I didn’t use 1 lot. Not even 0.50.

I opened just 0.10 lot.

Ten times smaller than my last EUR/USD trade.

Why?

Because gold is a different beast. You don’t dive headfirst into an unfamiliar river. First, you test the water with your finger.

Lot size: 0.10 XAU/USD
Take-profit: set at a reasonable distance
Stop-loss: mandatory (I no longer trade without one)

A few hours later, I checked the terminal.

The trade was closed.

Take-profit hit.

Profit: $42.70.

I rubbed my eyes.

Sure, it’s demo money. But the number still looks serious.

For comparison:
My best EUR/USD trade on a 1-lot position made me $23.50.

Here?
0.10 lot — and $42.70.

Gold is incredibly volatile. It covers huge distances in a short amount of time.

That’s both good and bad.

The good:
You can make more money.

The bad:
You can lose money much faster too.

But this time, I was in profit. And it felt good.

Yes, I’m Expanding My Horizons.

Hi, this is NorthRay.

Remember when I said I wanted to try opening a trade with one full lot?

Well, I did it.

And you know what? I didn’t blow up my account. My trade hit take profit.

Profit: $23.50.

So far, this is my biggest “win” on demo.

But instead of sitting back and celebrating, I’m already looking in a new direction. Because currency pairs are only the beginning.

I opened a EUR/USD trade. Lot size — 1.0. Stop-loss and take-profit were mandatory (thanks to previous lessons).

Honestly? It was scary.

Every time the price moved 10–15 pips, my brain instantly calculated:
“That’s already plus or minus $100–150.”

I literally had to sit on my hands to avoid closing the trade too early. I trusted my plan.

And the market rewarded me.

Price reached my take-profit level. The trade closed automatically. That green $23.50 number appeared on my terminal.

I exhaled.

It’s not life-changing money. But for me, it was a signal:
“You’re growing. You’re learning. You’re moving in the right direction.”

After that trade, I sat down and started thinking.

I only trade EUR/USD. Just one currency pair. I already feel like I can “read” it. I’m beginning to understand its personality.

But trading is much bigger than just the euro and the dollar.

There’s also:
— Oil (Brent, WTI)
— Gold (XAU/USD)
— Silver
— Company stocks: Apple, Tesla, Amazon, Google, Microsoft

And honestly? I know almost nothing about them.

What if there are opportunities there too?
What if my strategy works outside of forex?
What if I’m missing something important?

So I decided: it’s time to expand.

For...