Marty Schwartz

Marty Schwartz studied economics at Amherst College and received an MBA from Columbia Business School, initially working as a securities analyst at E.F. Hutton. He transitioned to full-time trading after a decade of frustration with analytical work that he felt rarely translated into investment performance. Schwartz developed a trading system combining technical analysis — particularly exponential moving averages — with strict risk management rules. His approach was highly disciplined: defined stop-loss levels, position-sizing rules based on risk tolerance, and rapid recognition and acceptance of losing trades. He entered the US Investing Championships — a competition in which participants trade real money and are ranked by returns — and dominated the event, winning the trading championship in 9 of the 10 years he participated, generating returns often exceeding 100%. He turned a personal account of approximately $40,000 into over $20 million in about 10 years of competition-style trading. Jack Schwager featured Schwartz prominently in "The New Market Wizards" (1992), where his interview described his evolution from struggling analyst to consistent trading champion. His 1998 memoir "Pit Bull: Lessons from Wall Street's Champion Trader" provides a candid account of his trading philosophy and personal development. Schwartz represents the archetype of the technically-oriented trader who achieves consistent edge through discipline, risk management, and emotional control.