In countertrend trading, the trader attempts to profit from price movements that are contrary to the current trend. Often, countertrend traders fade the trend in the hope of catching a short-term price pullback or a trend reversal.

Countertrend trading tactics are usually of intermediate duration. Particularly countertrend swing traders like to hold positions for several weeks to months. There is also a subset of short-term traders who employ counter-trend tactics and for whom this period is not always applicable. With today's counter-trend strategies, traders and scalpers are in and out of the market in a matter of hours or by the end of the trading session.