Fully automated futures trading

Discussion in 'Journals' started by globalarbtrader, Feb 11, 2015.

  1. John Nash

    John Nash

    Hi GAT,

    I've a few questions regarding the Carry calculation.xlsx on your LT website. Appreciate if you can clarify for Spot FX.

    1. If my broker charges -2.65 swap points for a long position, -2.16 swap points for a short position, is the expected annualised return = -2.65-(-2.16) = -0.49?

    2. Why is the scaling factor 30?

    3. How do I calculate the position to take using the forecast? Can I still use the below position sizing formula for Carry?
    Notional exposure target = ((forecast / 10 ) x target risk % x capital) / instrument risk %
     
    #2961     Nov 19, 2021
  2. 1. I don't know what a 'swap point' is. Can you give me an example of what a 'swap point' will do to your position if held for a year? I assume this includes both the interest rate and spreads?

    2. it's an average calculated across a large number of instruments to get the forecast to be of average absolute value +10

    3. yes that's the standard formula from the book

    GAT
     
    Last edited: Nov 19, 2021
    #2962     Nov 19, 2021
  3. Maybe it is advisable to emphasize that this average relates to futures instruments. The question seems related to spot FX. The calculated average might not be applicable to spot FX instruments?
     
    #2963     Nov 19, 2021
  4. John Nash

    John Nash

    #2964     Nov 19, 2021
  5. Well the great thing about carry is the signal is an expected Sharpe Ratio. So the multiplier of 30 implies that with an expected SR of 0.333 you'd have an average sized forecast of 10. The question is whether an expected SR of 0.33 is 'average'. That estimation was done over futures, but those futures include IMM FX forwards which should be roughly the same as holding spot FX until the next IMM date (note the massive funding spread doesn't affect the calculation of carry since it gets cancelled out).

    I'm not personally a fan of using asset class specific multipliers - that will mean smaller carry positions in asset classes with traditionally high carry such as bonds and vol - fine if you want that, but not for me. If you want to go down that route looking at https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2298565 it might be that FX carry is higher than the average, perhaps 0.6 rather than 0.3

    GAT
     
    #2965     Nov 19, 2021
  6. Bluntly, I don't have the time or brain space to translate between 'swap points' and annualised interest rates, but if you're going to trade with these people you should probably work out how to do it.

    GAT
     
    #2966     Nov 19, 2021
  7. #2967     Nov 19, 2021
    Kernfusion likes this.
  8. djames

    djames

    Would it be possible to view the configuration of your system used in the blog post?
    Is the Config yaml commited anywhere?
     
    #2968     Nov 19, 2021
  9. Sorry I will add a link

    Actually my blog post for next month will be a complete review of what I'm now trading, more informative than a config.

    GAT
     
    #2969     Nov 19, 2021
    wopr likes this.
  10. blink18

    blink18

    Rob, how do you decide which futures contract months to trade or rollover to, so that it's optimal from liquidity and costs point of view? Do you look at volume, open interest and select best months or do just roll to next available period? And on which day exactly to rollover? Let's say MBT, MES, MGC, ZC. One important factor is also IB's close-out period for contracts with physical delivery.
     
    #2970     Nov 19, 2021