Software to keep track of day to day trading?

Discussion in 'Risk Management' started by trader_eight, Jan 11, 2008.

  1. bathrobe

    bathrobe

    Will Stator compute: Win %, APD Ratio, Avg Win, Avg Loss, Profit Factor, Compound Annual %, Sharpe Ratio, Max Drawdown Thank you in advance
     
    #21     Mar 2, 2008
  2. There is definately a niche here for an astute software programmer to come out with a "Traders Journal" that would accomplish the following:

    1) Download trades from multiple brokers.
    2) Allow for notes & chart attachments on each trade.
    3) Have weekly and monthly profit/loss reports
    4) Show equity curve on weekly/monthly basis.
    5) Prepare Capital gains report.
    6) Print out Schedule D.

    I have an accountant, don't want Turbo Tax nor to mess with Quicken, Money etc. I would like to have my own journal and just give my CPA the Capital gains report or Shedule D.

    I don't believe anything like this exists at a reasonable cost.
     
    #22     Mar 2, 2008
  3. No Excel, DLADLER. As I explained, my broker's platform can't export to excel or any other format. My solution to this problem is several scripts which read in line by line of the log files of the platform, regex the necessary data, match trades up, and so on. Of course, over time, I have customized and tweaked it to my needs and wants.

    It works about as well as a 1978 VW Rabbit.


    Interesting idea.
     
    #23     Mar 2, 2008
  4. DLADLER

    DLADLER

    There is a software called TradeLog that is geared toward tax reporting. It will prepare a Capital Gains report and automatically print out Schedule-D forms. From my understanding, it will also import trades from multiple brokers. It provides equity curves and I'd imagine it provides P/L reporting on a monthly/weekly basis. It seems to also have a basic performance report, much like the one that might be available in your order-entry software or provided by your broker (ie max win/loss, avgwin/loss, etc, etc...).

    Stator provides a "taxation analysis" and offers performance-related statistics and charts, perhaps going into more detail than TradeLog, though I cannot confirm this as I have not personally used either. Like TradeLog, Stator supports multiple products (stocks, futures, forex, CFDs, etc.)

    TraderDNA is a performance-analysis software created for futures traders and, as such is limited to only futures. It provides uber-detailed statistics and visuals of the trader's performance over numerous variables (such as market, time of day, winning/losing trades and days, lot-size) and presents the results in visual formats (stats, tables, and numerous visual-aids in the form of different chart types) that make the results easily to interpret. It matches the trader's data up with the tick-data from the market so that it can perform additional calculations of risk-taken, profit opportunity, adding to winners/losers, etc., and presents those stats over many different dimensions. The focus with TraderDNA is on performance analysis and stats reporting, and it provides no tax-reporting features like those of Stator and TradeLog.

    Each of the 3 products mentioned above have their own distinct advantages and each could be of benefit depending on what exactly you seek.

    The other option is of course building something tailor-made in Excel, which is what a lot of institutions do and what individuals with vba knowledge might do if they have the time/patience/interest.


    Sorry for the confusion. Can you get the log files into a comma-delimited format, and if not what format can they be displayed in?
     
    #24     Mar 3, 2008
  5. tweaker

    tweaker

    no affiliation, but this is what I have been using for a couple years now


    http://www.technicominc.com/

    has almost anything you need, at an afordable price (it is not free)
     
    #25     Mar 3, 2008
  6. An interesting thread. By the way, I have started to trade and have a few questions. Firstly, to trade you need to be a member of any registered Stock Exchange like New York Exchange. Now, these Exchanges provide you with software by which you can keep track of the shares/MFs etc. plus the gains/losses incurred.



    Do we require more than what is available in these software? What is missing in them? I was surprised to know of the number of software for this purpose. Which one would suit me, a beginner?



    By the way, DLADLER, where is the screenshot?



    Quote by DLADLER” I've attached a screenshot of the feature in IB that exports your trade data to Excel or displays it on the screen so it can be copied/pasted into Excel.”
     
    #26     Mar 9, 2008
  7. I grab the brokers' reports EOD, dump it into excel spreadsheet, pull it into an access db file, match the trades there, and label them as to time horizon, setup type, entry and exit quality, etc Then can do all sorts of stats and queries, and dump it back to excel for charts and graphs. Takes about 30mins EOD to do.
     
    #27     Mar 10, 2008
  8. AJJ

    AJJ

    Hi all,

    I would like to make you aware of the straddleplanner.
    With this online position manager you can manage entire option portfolios.

    Hopefully this could be of help to you.

    Regards, AJJ

    It is still in Beta so if you have any comments or ideas for additions, please let me know.
     
    #28     Mar 12, 2008
  9. nickdes

    nickdes

    I have been using Tradelog for several years now. It connects to my broker and many others.

    After the software connects to the site it automatically downloads all of the trades and so forth.

    It also generates Sch D. reports to import into your tax software or give to your CPA for further review.

    I am very happy with the software. BTW I trade less than 1500 trades per year so my lic. fee is 166 for this year. Last year I had 1350 and may go over 1500 this year, thus requiring the next version up with higher prems. I hate book-keeping so this helps lots.

    Nick
     
    #29     Mar 12, 2008
  10. Vienna

    Vienna

    Thank you, just checked it out.
    Seems good for tax reporting, but my ideal software could do the following:

    - automatically capture trades
    from the broker or from Buttontrader (which I use) and trade stats (pretty much like Ninjatrader does)
    - stats to include: MFE, MAE per trade, per instrument and average, max id drawdown, the stats should be viewable per instrument. I want futures, perhaps stocks
    -a cell where to input the original stop, and then the software calculates the risk taken, and then the R-Multiple of the trade
    - software calculates the average risk per instrument taken in Dollars
    - Expectancy per dollar risked a la Tharp
    - an area to input notes for each trade. comments
    - an area to link a chart to the trade
    And then of course the whole trade statistics, sharpe etc.
    Equity curve etc. The possibility to apply a MA to the equity curve
    -Tax reporting, ideally without any input required
    -possibility to have/ compare several accounts, such as intraday and swing accounts, but also view all the statistics for the aggregate


    Seems that I need a programmer to do all this- no software seems to do it all....
     
    #30     Mar 12, 2008