The answer to this question comes down to the type of trader. When the float is small, it can be challenging to buy or sell at desired prices. If the volume is low, you can get trapped in the stock. Many investors consider a float of up to 20 million available shares to be low. Smaller companies may have a float under 1 million shares. Successful day traders tend to gravitate toward high float stocks with high volume. There's much more activity in these types of stocks, as volume attracts new traders and investors. There are positives to small floats, but more for swing traders or long-term traders. A limited float can indicate the company is confident about its profitability and doesn't need to raise as much capital in the public market. Day trading on a stock with minimal shares available can be pretty choppy. But there are chances to profit by buying long when the stock starts to run on higher than average volume. It can spike up quickly with a catalyst such as earnings or other financial news. It's a high-risk play due to volatility, but it can be enormously profitable, just as higher than average volume selling is a good time to short.