Breaking news: Niederhoffer still in business after market correction!

Quote from Joe:

Moved to chit chat, this thread has gotten way off course.

One does wonder when it got 'off course', when Niederhoffer was being attacked or when he got defended.

Seems to me like the latter..

Anyway, who cares. The good guys made a killing today.
 
Quote from archimedes:

Speaking of gamma.

"Also, you should never be short gamma. I've become very anti any kind of short gamma trade. That includes carry trades, which in my mind are essentially synthetic short gamma trades. I'm a great believer that portfolios in the macro space should always be long gamma, not short. Never, ever be short gamma."

--Christian Siva-Jothy, Inside the House of Money

Thanks for recommending this book, the best thing I have read since Market Wizards. Christian Siva-Jothy is not the only interviewee in the book to say don't be short gamma, it is a theme throughout the book, but Jim Leitner, on page 55 says

"Meanwhile, someone who consistently sells short-dated volatility, on average, would make a little bit of money. It's a good business to be in and not too dissimilar to runing a casino."
 
Quote from archimedes:

And having a doctorate means what exactly, a free pass? As does a squash title?

There is a difference between 'top performer' in a CTA database and top performer period. A huge difference, as the best of the best don't even report. There is also a huge difference between achieving outsized returns with solid risk control vs achieving outsized returns by aggressively selling premium in a low-volatility market, which is basically the financial version of musical chairs.

Again, this only comes up because Niederhoffer has the arrogance to declare himself great when he can't even tie the shoes of the truly great.

You're a bit of a crank without much of a leg to stand on. If you don't see the importance of what I'm saying, it may be that the concept of arete is foreign to you.

Looking at numbers alone without considering the context of those numbers, or the character, disposition and methods of the trader behind the numbers, is exactly the kind of mistake that a mediocre player would make. Especially when the most important number of all, cumulative return in absolute dollars, is still nil.

I certainly suspect the analytical and psychological assessment capabilities of anyone who bangs a drum for Niederhoffer without considering the clear defects in his methods and the blatant character flaws that make him a danger to himself and others. What I'm saying is, your hamfisted defense indicates you probably kind of suck in these critical assessment areas. Hopefully you can improve. But if you take a page from Vic, you won't. You'll just rationalize and bullshit throughout your career and always stay the same.


I have to agree on this... Does Stevie Cohen go on every venue and toot his horn to attract more OPM??? NOPE. What about Kovner, etc.. Nope, don't see them tooting their horns...

I do have some respect for VN, the ability to take a hit and come back, but, alas, I don't know the full monty behind the story. So, as to not sound like an ignoramus, and speak something of which I know not fully, I will just leave it at that. But remember, the big boys who make the serious cash (Cohen, et. al) aren't tooting their horns. Hell Cohen hates to see the light of day let alone have a website and be on TV.

G'day gents
C
 
concerning VN's 30% losses in May, is it possible that he was willing to take them based on his previous YTD gain? (i read somewhere that matador was up 30% prior to his May losses. I just hypothesized that VN would not have taken the losses unless he knew he had the YTD profit to cushion it. What do you think guys? Let's say this is true, can it be considered sound strategy or still a blunder?
 
Quote from riskarb:

I have tested Vic's assertion with Inventure's Ranger. Let's simply say that nobody would made a decisive bet based upon the output.



still waiting for the inputs, outputs of PTJ's little program. obviously it was dead wrong.

surfer:D :D :D
 
what many fail to realize is that VN is an academic, a professor with credentials from top notch schools, hence his desire to teach. why some of the losers on this thread hold this against him is beyond me. the statistical work, he graciously shared, has been proven correct albeit within an acceptable margin of error.

when was the last time JWH, PTJ, SC, or even the trend boys favorite ES; shared a trading strategy or even a market call?? VN is responsible to his investors only, not to every internet hack hiding behind an alias. things are totally in control at VN's shop.

some of the comments made would be truly funny, if they were not so mean spirited. it's too bad that members of such an educational site as elite would resort to such infantile behavior.

surfer
 
Quote from Rodney King:

i don't have the statistics on it (has anyone gone back through the archives to check?) but once again the "lowlife indicator" worked. whenever they're spending all day flaming vic for his permabullishness..

SPU6 1267.70s +26.50

Who's flaming VN for being bullish? Not me--I bot S&P Sept futures as 1240 and Nas at 1551. I am all for making money, and I don't fault anyone for trying to the same.

Rather, he is being taken to task for his alleged dishonesty (making a prediction for a market rise on Monday and then having the prediction taken down after it did not work out), as well as for his wantom disregard for risk (huge drawdowns in a market with a VIX less than 20, which he used to classify as "low" volatility).
 
this was NO character flaw from vic, from a statistical standpoint HE WAS DEAD RIGHT... monday's just a day in the week ok? same as tuesday, wednesday etc... vic called it right, period, just stop nitpicking u mindless bashers... and same when he blew up in the past, just a ONE-TIME event, i even dare say, a ONE-IN-A-VICs-LIFETIME-EVENT... because if there is another one like that he's really toast folks

May? what MAY? what -28%? you call that a DRAAAAWDOWN? you have no idea what investing's all about man... look at the BIG PICTURE, hellooooo... the man's made millions, better, billions, ok, JPY, but so what????

now invest with him if u must, but be aware, he's kinda lacking in terms of money management skills... i mean if you can live with a negative cash balance for a day or two every now and then that needn't cause you a problem, right?
 
Quote from marketsurfer:

still waiting for the inputs, outputs of PTJ's little program. obviously it was dead wrong.

surfer:D :D :D

Did we rally on Monday? Didn't I already state the parms? Alzheimers kickin-in full-steam, Surf?
 
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