Making sure you make the most of your trading means never putting all your eggs in one basket. If you put all your money into one idea, you're setting yourself up for a big loss. Remember to diversify your investments—across both industry sector as well as market capitalization and geographic region. Not only does this help you manage your risk, but it also opens you up to more opportunities.

You may also find yourself needing to hedge your position. Consider a stock position when the results are due. You may consider taking the opposite position through options, which can help protect your position. When trading activity subsides, you can then unwind the hedge.