I know I'm a little a late to this question, but wanted to offer my input. I think the answer to this might be two fold. One is that they always need to be invested in something, where as most of using on here trying day trading are mostly in cash over night, except for the swing traders I guess. But they couldn't be sitting in cash over night or even for days at a time. The second thought that comes to mind in big lot orders might move the price too much, too much in and out, and hence there might not be any patterns to look for. The big boys simply cannot do what the little boys do. Its like if for example you need to get from one coast of the country to the other. If you have to take a football team, you gotta rent a bus. But if you're gonna solo, it makes much more sense to take your car. In no way could you move an entire team with cars, it would be hugely ineffecient. I think I read somewhere that HFT firms make trades in small sizes of just several hundred shares, but hunderds of times a day and with tons of different shares. The key though seems to be that if they traded huge lot sizes, the price might move too much and their system wouldn't work. Anyway... so I think that big institution simply cannot use TA because of their huge size.
Reliable numbers are not provided to public. Any big corp accounting departments is one of the main department, do you know why? Because that is how they hide/pretend something. I am with a main listed company for long time and I can tell you don't believe in all those data in annual report or whatever except you are the boss who really knows what is going on. Gov is even worse. You think you pay few dollars then see the real data? Funny.
If the person was minded in a certain way, they'd find the handle email address, hack it and track everything about the person... and mostly tell any and every lies they can to get what they want : a hand on their trading methods, systems and software. As someone said, a scalable edge is a goldmine. And as someone else said again, some people would literaly kill for an edge. Desperate times can lead to desperate measures. Why do you think these big boys method promoters are so desperate to find out what the "retail" traders are doing well? Must be hard to find out what the other big boys - IF profitable - are doing... except insider trading or front running. Some people are desperate for an edge, and it is easier to get these for free - no efforts - from "retail" traders.
Truth hurts ? Prefer to keep the reasons secret ? Insider Trading and Front running : too much risks ?
Knot at you my good friend. Simply restating your composed thoughts in a more direct manner. Have a good day
My apologies Mate. Got this reaction when explaining to a "retail" trader to keep their trading into their head, and not be impressed to show off because "big boy trader" methods of gaining "infos".
EricP or Lescor or Dustin. Because of their common sense contributions to ET. And they have 3 entirely different styles.