GATrader, Sorry, I missed your earlier question. I trade stock and futures about equally although the last couple of years I guess I have gravitated to stocks more, largely because the execution systems are so much better. I just got to the point that I hated getting ripped off by the floor coming and going on every trade. I think an important point for stock daytraders who go to futures to realize is that you just cannot scalp these markets, except maybe globex. The floor will chew you up. You can never beat them on cost or speed. You have to get a position and stick with it as long as possible. As you point out, there are a lot of advantages to trading the futures over stocks. I think it is very important to have a good broker. I would be very leery of some of the e-brokers who print your orders out on the floor and then they are executed. You can conceivably have an awfully long wait to get a fill. If I can't get a fill back for a marketable order while I'm on the phone, I would look for another broker.
I can only second AAAinthebeltways comments on futures vs stocks. I traded the S&P actively in 1998/99 including a bit of e-mini, currencies and bonds. The pit traded commodities are very difficult to trade - slippage is significant, delay of execution reports etc. All makes it more difficult to trade than it should be. FYI: I used LindWaldock as my futures broker. I'm now exclusively trading stocks; and have found them to be a much better vehicle.
Yeah that hedge looks good..... but it's been getting hammered the last few days. Down a few thousand bucks. Vikes- you seem to be one of the few who actually don't think I'm PTS. Are you using any systems or website's that have worked as well? Can you e-mail them to me so they don't get posted and I don't get accused of working for them? Thanks
TRADES FOR 01/02/29 UPDATE ACTION None. OPEN POSITIONS: Yen â Short March from .8031. Place protective stop at .7575. Live Cattle â Long February from 70.05. Place protective stop at 70.40. Corn â Short March from 216^4. Place protective stop at 215^6. Cocoa â Long March from 1336. Place protective stop at 1297. Australian Dollar â Long March from .5167. Place protective stop at .5101. Crude Oil - Long March from 19.89. Place protective stop at 18.48. NEW ORDERS: Buy March Soybeans at 440^0 on a stop. Place protective stop at 425^0 if filled. Buy March Muni-Bond at 104^01 on a stop. Place protective stop at 102^29 if filled. Buy March Cotton at 36.91 on a stop. Place protective stop at 35.94 if filled. Roll out of February Live Cattle into April Live Cattle on the open. Place protective stop at 72.88 basis the April contract. (Cancel the February protective stop) FLAT MARKETS: Muni-Bonds Cotton Copper Soybeans Coffee Sugar SECONDARY SIGNALS: (These signals are those that occur in markets we already have positions in) Corn â Short March from 209^4. Place protective stop at 216^6.
Preventing the big losers is important, especially in futures.those can be the big winners too, I suppose it just depends what side of the trade you are on. Markets like hogs cattle and grains dont have locked market -limit moves very often but when they do if they gap away from your stops you will be hanging in the wind so to speak. Thats why I like stocks so much more, those killer moves that can wipe out 6 months of gains just dont happen often( unless you trade the biotech stocks). Good luck
Just an FYI of the current positions I am in. I had near the same fill on every position except Crude and Cotton in which I had a worse fill and Cattle in which my fill was better. <b>TRADES FOR 02/02/08 UPDATE ACTION</b> None <b>OPEN POSITIONS:</b> Live Cattle â Long April from 75.00. Place protective stop at 74.35. Corn â Short March from 216^4. Place protective stop at 213^0. Cocoa â Long March from 1336. Place protective stop at 1393. Crude Oil - Long March from 19.89. Place protective stop AND REVERSAL at 18.93. Copper â Long March from 70.35. Place protective stop at 70.85. Cotton â Long March from 36.40. Place protective stop at 35.20. Soybeans â Long March from 433^0. Place protective stop at 424^4. <b>NEW ORDERS:</b> None