Traders' Roundtable

Sorry, short answer. Not much time.

Matti: I simply haven't found a short term system which was profitable with $120 cost per contract and that was consistent (or say robust) over a long time. If you have tell me

Jez, Excel was better and easier for this. I personally wouldn't have the confidence into a TB simulation running repeatedly against margin limits.

Jez,

One way round this might be to run your TB simulation with say $1,000,000 and risk set to your desired level.

Then trade using 1-5% of your own account size utilising the stops exits and entries generted by TB.

Subject to your account size you may need to modify your TB portfolio to reflect the less hefty futures.

Medius

Jez Liberty wrote:AND most importantly (to me): with a retail API access (which would allow for a program to be written and not skip any SL orders)...

GFT are the only true spreadbeting company I've come across who have an API. They're a bit protective of it, I think mainly because they worried about being arbed by scalpers. They seemed quite happy when I talked to them about using it for LTTF-style trades. I never got around to taking it further than initial enquiries, but only because I found I was moving to the US for a while.

matti wrote:I have run into the same problem. ie. placing spreadbets on UK open to see them stopped out and TB still has them active.

Take a look at WorldSpreads. For many contracts you can set a stop based upon the market price, not their price. Which makes the spreadbet stops match the futures stops much better. They don't offer it for everything, but mostly it's the most liquid, tightly-spread markets that are missing, so it's not such a problem. In theory they have the option of hitting you with substantial slippage on the price you actually trade at, but in practice they seemed to operate fairly.

Two slight oddities with Worldspreads. Firstly the stops only operate while they're in the office - from about 7AM London time to NY futures close. That feature I found produced a generally positive effect, because it omitted the occasional wild swings in the thin overnight markets. Secondly, they always make markets on a fixed spread around the market mid price, so occasionally, for example in the less liquid US futures during the London morning, their bid-ask price is actually inside that of the actual market.

M20J

Thanks for that, very helpful.

Kindest regards

Matt

M20J wrote: GFT are the only true spreadbeting company I've come across who have an API. They're a bit protective of it, I think mainly because they worried about being arbed by scalpers. They seemed quite happy when I talked to them about using it for LTTF-style trades. I never got around to taking it further than initial enquiries, but only because I found I was moving to the US for a while.

Thanks M20J - that is useful as they dont seem to advertise it openly at all.. I'll investigate with them (well I'll add this to my stack of stuff to do )

I can understand how they would be wary of exposing them to scalpers!