(For those who really do automation, please) Hi, folks! Do you run your systems on the last day of the expiry(futures)? Thank you.
Only if I have to - some instruments don't start rolling until literally that day (I'm thinking of Korean bonds and equities, there are probably others). Otherwise I'd have rolled into the next contract a few days, or even weeks, or years ahead. GAT
Yes to clarify, the 'running' would purely be to close existing positions and open those up in the next contract. I wouldn't open new positions close to expiry, because the cost of rolling them probably exceeds the slight benefit you'd get from having the optimal position for a couple of days rather than waiting. GAT
I don't. My system warns me a few weeks before expiry. Then I make sure that I roll my existing position and avoid a new position to be opened in the soon-to-expire contract. Also: at IB is physical delivery not allowed. So IB blocks certain trades after the First Notice date. And for short positions will it close those positions before the First Notice date. This applies for example to grains (e.g. corn, wheat, soybeans). The Korean bonds (symbol 3KTB) has almost no overlap between the expiring contract and the next contract. For this I close it a few days before expiry and wait until the new contract is properly "up and running".
Just get out of your contract when the volume flips to the next series. Easy as pie (or cake). With that said, you can get out of your contract way before FND, you know. If you want to roll from Sep to Dec on an equity future, you can do it right now if you wish. Nothing is stopping ya'.