Trading US Stocks with IB

Discussion in 'Interactive Brokers' started by T441, Jan 28, 2021.

  1. T441

    T441

    Guys new here from the UK. Experienced futures trader looking to add US stocks. I’ve been with IB for 15 years, and in the past used Booktrader for futs. So knowing how complex TWS can be here’s roughly what I want to do hoping someone can save me loads of time! Trade 1 hour premarket, then the opening 1 - 2 hrs. Taking into account overnight news and potential gappers. I only have 1 x 30” screen for this, so ideally I would like to be able to click on up to 12 stocks in a scanner, and each would open a chart in a new window nicely tiled. Then a few clicks on the chart achieves a buy or sell. I know TWS charting has never been great but for this, 1 basic chart for each stock is all I’ll need, I have 15 years of trading futs off charts so I know my set ups.
    Thanks T
     
  2. ZBZB

    ZBZB

    You have to link the scanner window to the chart window by clicking the infinity/handcuff symbol in the top right of the chart window. You would have to have seven chart windows with different colours and then keep changing the colour in the scanner window.
     
  3. T441

    T441

    Thanks, I’ll take a look at that
     
  4. ZBZB

    ZBZB

    It may be a down arrow in the top right before it turns into the symbol.
     
  5. T441

    T441

    ZBZB, you’re right thanks 7 colors to link up to 7 charts. Despite hoping to find some shortcuts it’s taken the usual multiple hours of poring over the user guide. Some things I want I can’t find maybe someone has the answers?.....
    Once you activate chartrader it opens a line beneath the chart. I cannot find a way to open it within the chart or to the left/right. Then when in a trade an order line opens beneath the chartrader line. This means the chart itself is vertically compressed losing definition, so much so that I’ve had to reduce from 9 to 6 charts per Tab.
    Chartrader also puts Buy, Sell and Alert buttons at the rhs of the toolbar, I’d like Close Position here too but can’t see if/how to do it.
    Instead I’ve created a keyboard shortcut, however if I have 2 or more open trades in a Tab, will it close all of them?
    Final question, I’ve found the scaling feature within Stocks - order presets, however with the huge range of stock prices I can’t find a way to set 2 profit taking orders at different levels in two halves. I can only enter the number of shares which means having to edit the order presets thru global config before every trade! Hoping someone’s found a way!
    Thanks.
     
  6. T441

    T441

    So I’ve answered one of my own questions, the keyboard shortcut works only on the active chart, but if you have to click the chart to make it the active one, might as well just click the close position button. Other questions still outstanding but having spent many more hours on the documentation it seems it’s a no to the rest.
     
  7. T441

    T441

    Gridlines....this one’s driving me mad! My charts on the paper ac have
    Gridlines, the live ac not. Therefore I assume customising the gridlines is available but I just can’t find it. Only ref in user guide index is to - display - style...this doesn’t do anything to my charts so I’m lost! Help appreciated!
    Thanks
     
  8. JamesJ

    JamesJ

    Agree.
    I link scanner with 4 charts with different time scales and booktrader.
    I enter orders through booktrader, by mouse and custom hotkeys, eg. for stop limit orders with preset offset. Never used charttrader.
     
  9. T441

    T441

    I found the answer from a TWS vid on YouTube.....the hide gridlines checkbox is found in global config - charts - chart colors. Not intuitive at all but that’s TWS!
    Finally have the set up as I want it, have found mosaic useful, and the search facility on this forum going back years has provided more answers. Thanks to all the contributors. Serious simming starts tomorrow!
     
  10. comagnum

    comagnum

    For using 2 different profit targets for stocks - go to the post by IB-AN:

    https://www.elitetrader.com/et/thre...iple-target-orders-to-a-bracket-order.249506/

    I wish they had a bracket with multiple stop & target exits & allowed for numerous bracket presets per symbol.
     
    #10     Feb 7, 2021