FOMO stands for "Fear of Missing Out," and in trading, it refers to the emotional response and anxiety that investors experience when they perceive others making profitable trades or investments, and they fear missing out on potential gains.

FOMO is exacerbated by social media and real-time market information, where individuals witness others' successes, creating a sense of urgency to participate in the perceived opportunity.

Successful traders and investors typically emphasize the importance of discipline, patience, and a well-defined strategy to avoid succumbing to FOMO and making emotionally-driven financial decisions that can negatively impact one's portfolio.

Many cases of FOMO can be observed on the market during major economic events, but are generally exacerbated during earnings releases, when thousands of investors rush to trade the hot stock of the day in fear of missing out on lucrative gains. 

FOMO On GameStop 2021

One noteworthy example of FOMO happened during one of the most notorious events on the stock market in recent memory, which was the GME short squeeze of 2021, when a stock trading subreddit identified major short interest in GameStop stock and started rapidly buying the stock, driving the price higher and triggering margin calls for short-sellers. 

When traders saw the market conditions, many entered the market at already high valuation and held the stock longer with the hopes of further increases. However, no bullish run can last forever and many traders saw themselves taking considerable losses from what was supposed to be the trade of a lifetime. 

FOMO can greatly affect the risk tolerance of traders and the GME short squeeze was one of the clearest examples of this happening in practice. 

How To Avoid FOMO

There are a few methods of avoiding FOMO while trading, which require considerable restraint and discipline on the part of traders. 

The market may swing wildly in either direction and FOMO can lead to more losses than gains. To avoid this, here’s what you can do:

• Stick to a trading plan: Develop a well-thought-out trading plan that includes entry and exit points, risk tolerance, and profit targets. Having a predefined strategy helps you stay focused on your goals and avoid impulsive decisions driven by FOMO
• Discipline and patience: Cultivate discipline and patience as essential virtues in trading. Avoid chasing quick gains or entering trades without proper analysis. Understand that not every market opportunity is meant for you, and waiting for the right setups can lead to more sustainable and informed decisions
• Risk management: Implement effective risk management strategies, such as setting stop-loss orders and position sizing. Clearly define the amount of capital you are willing to risk on a trade, and adhere to these risk parameters. This helps mitigate potential losses and prevents FOMO-driven overexposure to volatile markets

• The fear of missing out, or FOMO, is what happens when traders rush into potentially profitable volatile trades with little to no prior risk management
• FOMO can be incredibly risky and lead to major losses for traders 
• Discipline and a clearly defined strategy can help traders avoid FOMO on the market