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For the API call (reqAccountUpdates) that I have problem, I am not sure it's just the Excel. I got a few Events and Methods (like reqMktData, tickSize, tickPrice) working in Excel perfectly. Maybe the problem is in the call itself. There is even a error in IB's documentation...

Seems to me it's an ActiveX control.

I had a technical difficulty in IB's ActiveX API calls and asked for help. Here is what I got from IB tech support: "Unfortunately, we stopped supporting ActiveX for the Excel spreadsheet about 1 1/2 years ago due to reliability problems. We currently recommend the DDE connection method for...

I used DDE link before and is using ActiveX to get real time datafeed in my Excel spreadsheet. It's more stable than DDE link. The downside is you don't get tech support from I.B. for ActiveX.

The CBOT is licensing LIFFE platform, which is actually better than the Eurex's technology. e.g. LIFFE's API can have up to 32 legs in order submit. Eurex's technology is pretty old but I have to say it's very robust. What CBOT needs to do is to lower its fees. That's good for their customers.

The position sizes for different time frame are likely different. I would think the shorter term trades is probably more likely bigger than the longer term trades. The net position would be their difference.

Just opened a FXGame account with Oanda. I like it. Will open a trading account and trade small once I get a feel. I only trade USD/JPY, for now.

You'll pay about $2100 to establish a long position of a September 960 put and 1015 call strangle. Assume volatility remains unchanged, my simulation tells me this long strangle has a 30% chance to be profitable. If this trade turns out to be a winner, your average gain is about $2400. The...

I'll be interested in a forum about macro/micro characteristics of our economy. Especially the yield curve. There is a long "Bond Futures" thread in "Commodity Futures" forum that I think would fit better in a forum about economy than in Commodity forum.

The long rates are going higher. That'll hurt both equity and debt market. Blame the federal deficit.

Natenberg's Option Volatility & Pricing is a classic. Mcmillan's Options As A Strategic Investment is another.

OEX is American style, and has more liquidity than SPX.

You are right. Many companies beat current quarterly earning and then cautious about future earnings, sort of "canceled" each other.

Exactly. The implied volatility is based on the option price which is determined by supply/demand. If someone's own research indicates the volatility in the future is higher/lower than this IV, he would buy/sell the option (i.e. he would long/short vega).

Selling naked calls works in a declining or sideways market. But only on index options where your upside risk is not unlimited.

Supply/demand of an option and therefore its price are determined by sellers and buyers' assessment of the underlying volatility during the period from current time till expiration day. MMs are merely facilitating their transactions. With war and corp. scandals over, and the earnings have...

Using Binomial tree 40.651% volatility would gives us a Sep 20 call at price of 0.7. But the VIX is only around 20 these days, compare 40 during the first quarter. Volatility and therefore Options' values are relatively low right now. The Sep 20 call at .50 has a 32.9% IV, seems to be...

Have you looked OEX options? S&P100 has a much higher correlation with S&P 500 than NASDQ 100 has. OEX index is round 500 and one contract ($50k) is about the size of an e-mini S&P. Plus, OEX option's (bid - ask)/vega ratio is much less than QQQ option's ratio, lower your spread transaction...

And also Alan Lewis' book. I just wish I have more time for reading.

The problem of Black Scholes model with Employees' stock option mentioned in that article is quite different from what we have when used in trading, although both have a lot to do with the use of volatility. Because of the long term nature of employee stock options, it's almost impossible to...