Hey risk less, between the two of us, I am the only one that actually trades on the floor. You just talk about it. So I think I have a little bit more credibility here then you. And also before you attack my post why don't you point out the part of my post that is not true. 1) The number of contracts that trade in the spoos pit on a busy day and a slow day. 2) The fact that spoos are 5 to 1 to minis 3) That most of the guys in the spoos pit are arbing the mini's 4) the % of mini's that originate from inside the pit versus outside the pit. Which one of these are you disagreeing with me over. You can't just make a stupid blanket statement like I don't know what I am talking about then not respond to which part it is that you think I don't know what I am talking about. Why don't you for the benefit of all the newbies that actually come on this thread and try to learn something, explain to them the error in my post. Otherwise you are just adding to the garbage that gets posted on this board everyday.
"a couple of very large prop houses are trying to dominate the screen the way Baldwin and Charlie D did in Bonds several years ago. " did T. Balwin do as much spreading as Charlie D did? sometimes I think that the only way to daytrade is to look for spread / arb opps between markets
Baldwin did no spreading. Though Charlie D. started as a spreader, in his last few years he traded outrights almost exclusively.
Downtick, What you are ignoring is the presence of the "e-locals", the locals that sit around the pit reading the pit volume but trade the emini. This provides volume to the emini, but is really originated from the pit. If there was no emini, these guys would be in the pits. So, this volume is really better attributed to the pit, not the screen. Because if no pit, then no elocal mini volume.
Its my understanding that because the Emini is faster than the pit, most trades are initiated in the emini and then dumped/reversed in the pit. This would mean that the emini is not only creating its own volume, but is creating volume that is keeping the pit alive. The emini has also taken over the role of price discovery which is the source of trade initiation. So, there are two ways of looking at this - its kind of chicken or the the egg. The real test would be - if globex traded a $250 electronic contract during the day - who would be the winner pit or electronic?
I can only speak from my own experience and the people that I know. But those elocals sit around the pit reading the pit volume and trade exclusively the emini to get in and get out. This is the volume from the pit that I am refering to. Same goes for A/C/E bonds,notes. I know people that watch the buying/selling volume in the pit but trade exclusively on A/C/E from desks around the pit. These guys work solo, not in pairs. You don't need someone else to do this. And these guys trade some pretty big volume per person. Goes to show you that despite the declining volume in the bond room, the pit serves it's purpose of price discovery.
if one can get a squawk box type of bid / offer from the notes or bonds these days? the 2 services I know of doing this in the Spoos do not do bonds anymore
Anybody trade E mini bonds? Which contract is most active. I know Z is the front month, which Root should I use? The YHZ03 has NO volume! Am I missing something?.....or do I need to trade a "BIG"?