the original post by Jayson that Ara was asking about (look at the bottom part of this post) was 5 years (my bad on the 6) - 2003. I was trying to find the thread Brian posted to and couldn't find it in the recent posts - I did a search and found it in 2003. d
_____ From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Louis Préfontaine Sent: Wednesday, July 09, 2008 11:04 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [amibroker] Re: Sector Analysis Hi, This is a six years old post?! In my gmail it shows as a July 2008 post... or maybe I missed something... Anyway, that was great Brian! It gives me a lot to think about. However in your post you talk about the speed of your internet connection explaining why you don't go in faster timeframe. Would it mean that if you have (had?) a broadband connection you might consider going to tick? Wow I can't believe that was 6 years ago. Seems like nothing changed in the market! ;-) Or maybe it's simply the bear again! Thanks a lot, Louis 2008/7/8 brian_z111 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: Louis, Our last posts crossed. Briefly (I have to go right now but I often extend my posts at a later time, aor in a different place, so more might pop up later) > But even if you say this is not > discretionnary trading, how can you backtest and really optimize or >test a > strategy that rely on visual and discretionary decisions? You can't. Nor can you defy the laws of mathematics (statistics) etc. I am not going against the principles of system design testing and evaluation. I am saying I am competent enough to apply them with a limited amount of discretion (after the systems boundaries have been established by observation and testing). This particular system doesn't involve otpimizing - there are no lookbacks and nothing to optimize (that is not to say that a trader with a highly analytical approach couldn't squeeze more out of the trade and/or work more variations). Market behaviour isn't going to change anytime soon - if, and when it does, my trade will disappear from the screen. I have backtested the fundamental trade template, that underlies the trade (that was easy enough to do) - small things, that change on a daily basis, can't be backtested (e.g. the data might not exist) it might be too hard for me to do (but possible for others) or the backtesting overheads, to go the extra mile, not worth it to me personally). Note: components of the system are endemic to the markets and I have tested those thing to exhaustion in the past - now I put them straigHt into the trade without the need to keep going over and over the same things. What parts of it are discretionary? Examples: - the setup might be there but there is not enough volatility around so, in practise, I would sit there all day to scrape a draw or a win (I will just pull out of the trade) - on paper it would backtest as a small win. - the setup doesn't look exactly the same every single day - the underlying cause is persistent but the daily mood/individual behaviours can change it a little or even abort it (I have to decide if it is good to go or not, based on relative information e.g. if in doubt I can look at something else, that I don't always look at, to see what it is doing). Specific example: Australian market time, something can change dramatically in Asia and impact on the trade I am in - in a backtest that could register as a big loser - in reality I might have pulled out of the trade early, based on news OR price fluctuations in the Asian markets - possibly I would only avoid part of the extreme losses - but in reality can you and do you backtest those things. brian_z --- In [email protected] <mailto:amibroker%40yahoogroups.com> , "Louis Préfontaine" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Hi Brian, > > I hope I understood your first paragraph correctly, and if it is the case, > then I'll do my best. > > Thank you for sharing your ideas. But even if you say this is not > discretionnary trading, how can you backtest and really optimize or test a > strategy that rely on visual and discretionary decisions? > > Louis > > 2008/7/8 brian_z111 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > > > Ara > > > > You give a lot of quiet unselfish help to others, via your posts, so > > a special for your (maybe not as good as an answer from Jayson but > > still relevant I think): > > > > - I am working on a new 'sector' based trade, albeit with a subtle > > creative twist (the play is based on a nuance in the markets) > > > > - it is an intraday trade (any old timeframe will do - not tick - say > > 5 minute bars but it could be 2 or 10 minutes) > > > > it is intraday because: > > > > a) I like high frequency trades for statistical (equity) smoothing > > b) the nuance exits in RT (I didn't make it that way it is just there > > in the RT charts) > > c) it stacks up at that timeframe (my comissions are 0.1% each way, > > slippage is a furphy and my targets are +0.5% net) i.e. the size of > > the moves are tradeable, which of course varies from market to > > market, trade to trade etc - but it will work in other timeframes > > d) it suits my personality (I want the outcome today so I can go to > > bed tonight for a good relaxed rest - I have my pay for the day in > > the bank) i.e it is just a job - I go to work each day and like to > > get the days work over and done with. > > e) intraday manages some other risks I want to avoid (overnight > > market risk) > > f) I can deploy the strategy on a local platform (keep my money in an > > Australian account) that allows me to manage it with low 'business > > overheads' and low stress (I don't have to hire an international tax > > accountant :-) ) > > > > Keep in mind I haven't traded this one yet (this is what I am seeing > > in the charts - live 'testing' - IMO traders who don't, or won't, > > believe what they are seeing are fundamentally flawed traders): > > > > W/L isn't so important, outside of payoff ratio, but I expect to well > > outperform random W/L ratios == 50/50 +_ statistical error/ so I will > > do better than break even W/L with payoff ratios around 1.5/1 at the > > least(I am being very conservative here privately I am looking at a > > W/L of at least 60-70% but I am not going to debate the topic). > > > > I expect trible figures P.A%. > > > > The energy overheads of the trade are low (no extensive number > > crunching etc) - I can run on visual/manual trading with only an > > alert (so I can relax around the house and the alert will call me > > back to the screen if needs be). > > > > Note: it is not tick trading so I don't need the big guns (AB/IB/ATR) > > and I don't have any sweat on my brow with every pixel of price > > movement). > > > > The process is: > > > > a) start off the Aus day by looking at a few intraday charts > > (overnight/previous days) - around 5 will do it (sector orientated > > charts/component stocks etc) > > b) the charts DICTATE the trade > > c) wait for the Aussie open > > d) visually confirm the setup as it unfolds (no scanning, no > > formulas - I know in advance which underlying I am on) > > e) take the trade (the underlying can be a stock/sector/index and the > > instrument can be anything that works with the trade - some > > instruments work better than others based on > > availabilty/liquidity/carry costs/comissions etc but the strategy > > remains the same) > > f) mentally 'set' a target and stop (some discretion comes into it > > based on the charts) > > > > Note - to an onlooker it seems like discretionary trading but it > > isn't (the 1000's of hours of study, backtesting, evaluation studies, > > discussions on evaluation in this forum, experience etc all go into > > it - I am not dependent on software/platform - if the trade doesn't > > demand a particular platform or software I don't use it just for the > > sake of it - KISSam or Sally) - I believe in the power of the mind > > and 'work' to train the trading mind - once it is trained why get in > > front of it? > > > > How many trades per month? > > > > - the strategy is flexible, especially if the trader is flexible > > > > One example: > > > > - it can be all over in 1/2 hour from market open > > - the best setup isn't there every day so if I don't push it then the > > trade is say three opens week * ave 0.5% P/L per trade > > > > Of course there are so many other markets/instruments etc . > > > > I could drink a lot of coffee and trade 24 hours non-stop (re-nter > > later in the day or after the opening trade is over go to another > > underlying that is still in setup etc and re-enter the market or > > wait for the next market to open and play again)? > > > > brian_z > > > > --- In [email protected] <mailto:amibroker%40yahoogroups.com> <amibroker%40yahoogroups.com>, > > "akaloustian" <ara1@> wrote: > > > > > > Jayson, > > > > > > You have a very interesting system! > > > > > > I am curious how you use it and what kind of results you get... > > > > > > Decision making process... number of trades per month.... win > > > ratio... etc. > > > > > > Ara > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In [EMAIL PROTECTED], "Jayson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > All; > > > > > > > > A great deal of my work revolves around sector analysis. I like > > to > > > select > > > > stocks whose sectors are strong or advancing. one way to gauge a > > > sectors > > > > strength is to measure its components closing price against > > > previous prices. > > > > I like to use 25 day new highs as my gauge. The enclosed scan ( ! > > > sector > > > > analysis) creates a list of 13 composite symbols. One for each > > of > > > the 12 > > > > sectors plus one of the entire universe under study. By default > > the > > > > composites will be stored in group to 253. > > > > > > > > To run the scan first choose a universe of stocks. your range > > > should equal > > > > one day. On a large universe your initial scan will take a few > > > minutes. > > > > > > > > to view the composites I use a market Strength indicator (CMF or > > > your > > > > favorite) as well as the custom indicator, Sector View. this > > > indicator > > > > produces a smooth oscillator in histogram form. readings above 0 > > > indicate > > > > market strength, below zero indicate weakness. The number > > > indicates the % > > > > of stocks within a given sector that have reached new 25 day > > highs > > > or Lows. > > > > in my bottom pane I have a simple line plot and include volume > > for > > > the > > > > sector. > > > > > > > > The resulting tab should look something like this.... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I have collected this data with XL for over year and found to be > > > very > > > > useful. AB makes my life so much easier! there may very well > > > > be a more efficient way to calculate these composites, I'm open > > to > > > any > > > > suggestions or improvements. btw a simple exploration of group > > 253 > > > will > > > > provide a snapshot of RS by each sector. Those falling above > > > ~Universe are > > > > out performing, those below are under performing. I hope some of > > > you may > > > > find this useful. > > > > > > > > Regards, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Jayson > > > > > > > > > >
