Rubbish I'm trading with 4 other ib users in different parts of the world and none of us are having any problems. Look at your ISP.
I also am not having a problem - I'm in New York City. I'm not actually trading currency on IB, but I'm able to access all of their stuff. Can anyone tell me about what I can expect as far as slippage, trading EUR/USD on IB?
I use limit orders when I trade currencies... So no noticed slippage at this point.... Lot size 100K The spreads are great though USD JPY 1.0 to 1.5 Same with EUR/USD.. USD/CHF as low as 2.0 at times.... During news I havent noticed any real widening.. Maybe .5 to 1.0 pips
That sounds positive. Thanks. How about stops - do you use stop limit orders for stops also? Have you had any problem with your stops being honored?
Yes, I use limit orders for my stops (I profit target my forex.) I dont see stop hunting as an issue. I have tracked IB's forex data feed in comparison to Tullets Forex feed via DTNIQ and it accurately tracks the price. I dont see a Tullet price of say 118.65 and an IB price of 118.59 (when I am long, which would appear to be stop hunting.) My fills are precise... even during news. I havent experienced slippage. Perhaps if I was trading 1 mil or greater lot sizes that might creep up, but I am not there yet with my strategy.
That's good to hear - thanks for the info. Just out of curiosity though: when I trade stocks, I use limit orders, except for stops. For stops, I use stop market orders. My reasoning is that a fast-moving price could potentially go right past a stop-limit order, and NOT stop me out - whereas a stop is mainly a defensive piece. In the sense that, if the price goes to X, i would like to be taken out of the trade, period, no matter what. With a stop limit, there is the chance that the price could go right past my get-me-out price without actually taking me out of the trade. On the other hand, I know plenty of people who prefer stop-limit orders. Do you perhaps feel that prices do not tend to move so quickly past stops in Forex, that it is not a danger? Just curious. No experience with currency trading yet. By the way, I've heard it said that trends and patterns tend to be clearer and more reliable in currency trading, and I'm beginning to see that. I imagine that the high liquidity of the market is the reason for that.
During news the price moves faster, but not so fast (in my experience with IB) that you cant get filled. I only use stops for exiting losing positions (I realized I wasn't clear) I use buy limit or sell limit for profit taking.