The biggest difference is because there is no way to take the market out of a stock index position easily. There are so many ways to gain an edge trading stocks. Some gain an edge by being able to get and interpret news better than the next guy on any of 5000 stocks. Or by being able to take advantage of ECNs, or by getting rebates, or by learning to tape read with the spec - the list goes on... Trading stocks in pairs can make even average trader profitable. I would venture that 1 in 15 professional traders are profitable trading SIFs. I would say that 1 in 10 or in good times 2 in 10 professional traders are profitable trading equities. nitro
Switching from stocks to futures the things I found problems with was the much greater elasticity i.e greater whipsaws at S/R, and the fact that my mind was conditioned to patterns on daily stock charts that are unreliable/gamed in intraday index futures. Going through 50-200 chart views every evening is OK in bull markets but a low return drudge in sideways markets (trading non US market where correlation with Index is much higher). Main reasons for making the switch was the greater flexibility from the ease of going short and with stocks I was ending up doing the same hours as I was when employed. Also for me it removes the frustration of buying the wrong stocks as a play on the index (non US market).
Index futures are inherently efficient because of the high leverage. This has nothing to do with discretionary traders who will buy/cover a zillion contracts when the S&P falls to the 1170s after the London bombings, for example. The efficiency issue effects the retail rule-based system traders, which should follow three steps: 1) Execute a statistically significant historical run that produces a good reward/risk ratio and acceptable profitability. 2) Forward test the system to make sure the equity remains within statistically significant boundaries 3) âForward testâ the system, after you begin to trade it, and see if the equity curve begins to raise statistical red flags. If the third step fails, you now know the âhouseâ is laughing its way to the bank.
I made my fortune with equities during the bubble, and had a minor drawdown when I first attempted to daytrade futures... Once I rewired my mind to recognize that daytrading futures requires an inherently different approach to daytrading equities, I cannot see myself going back to equities in any meaningful way... There is a reason (or make that several) why professional traders love the eminis and the big futures contracts... seek and thee shall find, Brother nitro...
ALthough I agree with you on futures trading, I would consider a 120K drawdown a pretty big drawdown to learn futures. I am just busting your balls. Futures can be very good or very bad thing because of the leverage.
Gentlemen Global futures open direct floor access account with account minimum 250000$ . How great can be account minimum for this account by another companies ? Compare with account minimum by stock & options industries ,where some of companies offer for clients direct access without payement for order flow wiht 0 $ initial capital /optionsxpress/ Forex industries in each case must be excluded asalternative , as all broker's are bucket shop's/alsov UBS/ . Two offered level 2 book /IB and hotspotfx/ ,but IB stated ,that is only fraction of 1% from full marklet .
That's perfectly fine... your belief set relates to what you believe is feasible... it is always difficult to believe things that others are capable of but that the skeptic is not capable of...
Of course! No hard feelings brother. May the Gawds of trading continue to shower you with good fortunes! nitro