Trading automation

All posts tagged Trading automation

Reflections

Today was a wonderful example of why I need to automate my trades. While I thought I would be able to monitor the market for the afternoon (not always my favorite thing to do on a Friday), I had a surprise at my job and ended up working much longer than expected. If I can get my cash to work for me, then how long I stay at work would be less important.

As I explore the automation of my trades, I recognize how I have built systems in other areas of my life. Repeated processes are streamlined. Over twenty years ago, someone described my driving as “efficient,” and it’s a word that I’ve found applies in many areas of my life. If there is something I can do to keep from doing the same boring process over and over again, then I take steps to minimize the time I spend on the task. It should be no surprise then that I’m looking to do the same thing for trading. It’s a part of my personality that I need to respect.

Trading requires not just knowledge about the markets, brokers, and platforms, but self-knowledge. This is why buying systems from others does not usually work. Trading systems need to fit the personality of the trader, or there will be constant battles going on between the trader and the system. By recognizing that I am inclined to automate areas of my life, my drive to automate my trades is recognized and becomes easier to implement. Now I just need to settle upon the best software available to me now.

Swing Trades

Six new trades were opened today with the double position in WYNN getting stopped out (-.97R total). I had set a stop and reverse as an intraday play yesterday, but did not keep the stop and reverse overnight.


Currently holding 13 open positions showing a total of +2.44R

Long: (AEM*) AWK, CAT, CVX, GIS, INTC(2), JPM, MKC, OKTA, TLT.
Short: XES.

*Update from 6/18, I overlooked that AEM also closed out for +.31R.

Reflections

After the bumps I encountered with TradeStation, I was delighted to consult with some of my colleagues today about other trading platforms and options for automation. The one that caught my eye today was MultiCharts. One of my frustrations with TradeStation was being able to find information and details on their website about how the platform works. Their “University” only references a small number of videos and didn’t seem to offer any simple text support. MultiCharts gained some immediate brownie points with me because they have a wiki with detailed instructions. They may or may not be complete – I haven’t explored them too much yet – but it’s certainly more than I spotted with TradeStation. Yes, TradeStation offers a help guide from within the platform, but I find it odd that that information is not on their website…

Another item I like about MultiCharts is that it will work with my current IB accounts. I still have some questions about how that will work since I have three accounts linked together at IB. I have downloaded the platform and expect to start my free 30-day trial soon, perhaps tomorrow. When I started using TC2000 earlier this year, I found it very intuitive. I hope MultiCharts will be as intuitive as the website makes it appear.

NinjaTrader was also mentioned as an option. I used the platform briefly several years ago, especially for its replay function. A quick scan through the NinjaTrader website shows it may still be useful for me, but the website seems geared to selling the platform first and foremost. I did discover a seemingly comprehensive help guide, so they might still be a possible contender.

Choosing a platform is much like choosing a broker. There are a multitude of brokers because there are a multitude of individual needs and expectations. As I explore these options over the next few days, I hope to become more precise about what I need from a platform and what are simply my preferences or habits in trading. Learning requires an encounter with the unknown. Only when we step outside our comfort zone do we truly realize what the boundaries look like. Looking at my trading through the lens of these three different platforms will help clarify my vision of trading and should enable me to choose one as the next step forward on my path to trading automation.

Swing Trades

One new position was added today (on both platforms) – a second position in WYNN. Currently holding 9 positions showing a total of +1.92R

Long: AEM, CVX, INTC(2), OKTA, TLT, WYNN(2).
Short: XES.