Traders' Roundtable

If you define performance as a smooth equity curve (high return for max/average drawdown or std dev of returns or some such) then I'd suggest the ratings would go (from best to worst): 7. Using multiple systems across different markets and different time frames. 5. Using a single system across diffe...

This is a huge subject ... the real answer is that you roll them over in the way that reflects how you are going to trade them. This means that the simple answer is to backadjust them (old contracts matched to current price at rollover date) usually after the open interest of the new contract has ex...

www.finspreads.com for the smallest bet size at present and easy to use interface.

www.deal4free.com for lower spreads and even better software.


When I was reviewing them (about 4 weeks ago) the others seemed much the same but often with higher spreads.

John

Robert, Have you read Stridsman's book. One of the points he makes is that with some types of entry you find it difficult to improve the obvious results by adding a stop especially a trailing stop. This is also my experience. What the stops can do is reduce the standard deviation of returns. They al...

Sorry, also, in terms of the brokers I have found finspreads to be very helpful. Deal4Free are a bit challenged because they have some funny rules about people in non-UK locations but I think they'd be fine if I was in the UK. I like Deal4Free's new software quite a lot but wish that just one of the...

I use finspreads for index trading and a futures brokers for currencies. I am planning to add deal4free to reduce spread but still for indexes. I trade one specific system with spreadbets that needs small bet sizes. So, I'm afraid I cant tell you anything other than that finspreads currency prices a...

Jimmy, The reason I (and I suspect others) wasnt brave enough to reply was that the question is so big. The best reply might be to suggest that you read Stridsman's book "Trading Systems that Work". Although I disagree with his conclusions about how to roll contracts he does cover all of t...

Chuck LeBeau says it more clearly and concisely than I was able to on:

http://traderclub.com/discus/messages/1 ... #POST13232

Forum Mgmnt, Thanks for the reply. Good point regarding power. I think that this factor plus liquidity remove quite a number of markets from the possible mix. Thanks for the test results - very useful. SirG [Tue Apr 29, 2003 4:22 pm], I agree with your 2nd para [Risk & ...]; I guess that my poin...

I just visited Mark Johnson's site and he has a backadjusted data set for 20 commodities at:

http://www.mjohnson.com/rescap_lecture/lectop.htm

Sir G, My understanding of the value of seeking uncorrelated market/system pairs is that it relates to the times of loss not the times of gain . I agree that all going up at the same time is a great thing. The problem as I perceive it is that if you trade, say, aberration on one commodity, say, corn...

Karakoram, I agree with your 4/29 3:05 supposition that market/system pairs that havent been correlated in the past will probably/possibly correlate in future. See my earlier posting above 4/19 11:47: Despite this I think it pays to over diversify to allow for the possibility that historically uncor...

Just by way of experience ... the next one minute bar is not good enough in the New York markets. These guys still operate on a not-held basis (excused by Sept 11) and you can get a stop hit in minute 1, better prices traded in minutes 2 and 3, a fast market in minute 4 and your fill in minute 5. It...

That is a great bit of research on Mark's part. It seems to me that it suggests that the issue is not Statistical correlation between markets but Statistical correlation between closed trade equities . . . (Turtle measure vs OTE) or Statistical correlation between open trade equities . . . (Commonly...

At the risk of being simplistic I'd suggest two strategies both of which could be used if desired: 1) if your system is counter trend can you find a trend based system that is almost certain to be profitable when your counter trend system is unprofitable (or vice versa 8) ) 2) have a look at the goo...

Gekko, Can you tell us more both about your strategy and about the nature of the drawdown? On the drawdown can you also provide information about the differences between the theoretical behaviour you saw in the forward and back tests and the actual behaviour you have been experiencing (slippage etc ...

Jeff, You could be right but currencies trend much better than stocks - have a look at the thread for alternative approaches : http://www.tradingblox.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=693#693 Spreadbetting in the UK (I do it from the pacific so you can do it from anywhere but be careful of the times that th...

Well Jeff, you do at least seem to have started with self knowledge. By way of background I system trade long term and very short term. Last year I was discretionary trading using andrews median lines and a cycle technique for entries. Both approaches are successful. I am not trading the discretiona...

Forum Mgmnt, a belated thanks for starting this forum. The quality of the discussions has been excellent.

On this topic, if you decide to share your observations, I'd be interested in any differences between system traders and discretionary traders.

John

Oops sorry.

With finspreads after 8 weeks it is US$1 per point or GBP0.50 per point.

Most others are GBP1.00 per point.