Hi, i am a fresh quantitative trader, just want to ask is matlab a good platform to have baktest? Is there any other platforms prefer? Thank you for replying. p.s. my mother language isn't English, sorry for bad grammar and usage of words
Matlab isnt terrible, but my advice - go with Python. It seems to be eating finance (with the exception of the HFT space where speed is a huge deal). There are already backtesters coded in Python (Quantopian, backtrader, and many more). If you search for trading jobs, Python seems to be the language most in demand. In short - go with Python.
Python will eventually eat matlab but it'll take some time. In the meantime, writing a backtester is not that hard. Writing live trading is not that hard. But Matlab's toolboxes are second to none. That kind of stuff is pretty hard. Personally, I use Python, FWIW.
I use NinjaTrader. Free (until you need to trade live). You code in c#, all our algos written and running on it. It is fantastic platform with superb support.
Matlab isn’t really designed for execution. Third party, or custom built C# or Java, that can utilize multi-threading is best. Python fails there, as far as I know.
Because you’re dealing with storing and properly manipulating data, building an accurate backtester is magnitudes harder than building a live trading application.
It really depends on the type of strategy. Factors like frequency, catalysts, sizing, balancing, can add layers of complexity. If it’s just conventional indicators and MA’s, that’s easy peasy.
25 years ago matlab was great. given to colleges and students were locked in. today, other than ui, it's still the same thing but there are alternatives that are better and free.
The only thing I've had trouble with so far is combining frequencies but that's just because I'm lazy and haven't bothered to think through it properly. I use news catalysts in my backtesting as well. It is tough to simulate a broker but I used a state-based model (as opposed to event based) and any problems I was having went away. The crucial bit is getting the basic concepts down. backtrader, for example, gets some of this right but not all of it.