You just demonstrated not knowing what compounding is but you're acting as if that's not a big deal. Sometimes people on ET are just priceless. "Hey, I might not know how to remove the wheels from a car but I'm still a great mechanic", no.
I do understand compounding a lot since I used to be a long term investor. Just used to looking at the ROR and expenses since compounding is just a by product of the ROR - expenses, etc. So yea, that huge number threw me off, I go that part wrong - I admit it. I see now that 45% x 10 years would create the 4200% return. The point I was make to another poster claiming that beating the Quantum fund performance should be easy, easy enough that day traders on this forum should be able to out perform what Jim Rogers & George Soros in tandem at the top of their game. Which of course is absurd.
It's relatively easy for the small time, retail, at-home trader to beat those big funds' average annual returns. All you have to basically do is place one big trade, go all in...more or less...and you're set, for the year -- you defeated them. And if you lose, try again...more or less...and you will have defeated them. You can do wonders with a small trading account. Providing you trade the right instrument, and know what you're doing. I admit it's kind of gambling, but gambling with a so much better edge -- not a pure random crapshoot. Those big funds, even though they may be ...trading...I prefer to think of them as Investors, or even permanent long term business buyers.
Not in this day and age that's for sure with the level of manipulation in our current market. It would've been a joy trading markets based on true supply and demand during the 70-90s
People always say that about the previous market era, that it was so much easier back in the day but a look at the charts shows that every decade has had great opportunities. Jerry Parker, former Turtle trader, said in a recent history the conditions now are as good as the ever been - in fact he said his hold times are longer now than any time in the past due to the strong trends. Its never been easier to get into trading - it used to take a lot of money to enter trading, now anyone can get in and take big positions dirt cheap.
Jerry and his firm are top-shelf, but conditions so far this year haven't been great for them -- down ½% as of Aug.
It does look his fund did real good in the 90s - so looks like I am wrong again, he did say he was holding longer and the market trends are as good as they have ever been but he never said anything bout how his recent performance. So yea, I am wrong at least twice now on this thread.
I'm referring to daytrading, i'm sure trading daily and monthly time-frames would be little different to 20-30 years ago. As you can see from this chart, the ES has been very tradeable over a longer horizon. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3RcPkkZvdgyZGYwclJha19LbFk/view?usp=sharing