IB continuous futures

Hi

This is related not only to index futures, it seems a whole bunch of futures through tws, among the expirations, include a Continuous future, and it seems the quote is the same as the front month and one can just buy those contrats. How do they work ? Does TWS arrange the rollover ?

Thanks for all input
Luis

 

They are just for display so that you do not have to update the chart on rollover. You will be trading the Dec contract, for example, and have to roll it yourself before expiry into the march contract.

 

Ok, simple enough, thanks for this clarification.

 

IB only arranges the quote rollover, but it wont roll over actual positions for you.

 

Yes i suspected it wouldn t be that helpful. Rolling over liquid futures seems easy enough but i managed to miss an expiration. Can t quite fathom how i still manage such blunders but manage them anyway
good trading all

 

actually it does depend on exactly when you roll, for IB to roll the futures you would have to somehow instruct them when to roll (like setting a default number days before expiration or so). I traded next to some Nikkei option guys who occasionally made very good money trading the rolls because they were pretty glued in regarding flows and when most lifers and banks rolled their positions.