e-mini trading strategies

Excuse me but, Don you seem to be trying to drum up business for your stock firm by bashing the best trading vehicle available:). The best traders in the world trade futures.

E-minis also lend themselves well for system traders because the market is straightforward and electronic.

I mean a simple Parabolic SAR indicator with the appropriate settings will put you on the right side of the trend. I think futures are easier to trade from a practical standpoint. Pyschology is a different matter but If you have developed the correct pyschology for trading, you just trade, its not about being right everytime. If i'm trading well I find the rewards are much higher with futures and it seems like less work..
 
Yep, not to mention the leverage available to the average Joe trading futures (extreme with daytrading margins) and that you don't need to get a Series 7 and trade with a pro firm.
 
I am nuetral in this but very interested. You guys who are defending the eminis, are you making money? I have yet to hear from anybody that they have been consistently making money for an extended period of time trading either/both of the eminis. I would really like to hear from anyone who has.
 
Originally posted by Don Bright
Now come on, do you really think that there is any real working system for trading e-mini's?
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Yes, I do. Many traders claim they are making money if not with a system per say then in a rather methodical way. Moreover many of those do not have things to sell. That would make too many liars.


The people making the money out there would have little reason to share (if they even exist).
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Well, Don, you are sharing some of your stuff for free.. Why wouldn't you allow for the possibility profitable e-mini traders do the same?
And anyways, let's get back on topic. Let's get back from why it can/cannot work, to how/why it does work. If you (applies to all) have nothing to post that would contribute to answering the how question, please don't post on this thread:)
 
Originally posted by El Cazador
Try this: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SMACDX
or go to www.dacharts.com. There are 3 strategies and links to good stuff there on trading the minis.

EC


Oh yeah... this probably should be in the Futures section. :)
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There are some good stuff on that site, I will back test with substantial data and post results here when I get a chance. The "Retro" seems to be an easy one to code.

Bright, we all know where you stand regarding system trading... no need to stir the pot all over this site.
 
Originally posted by Don Bright
Now come on, do you really think that there is any real working system for trading e-mini's? Since futures contracts lead the market, and since you don't have the benefit of being on the trading floor where information about depth of orders and other scoop, it is pretty hard to trade emini's.

We have authorized a few traders, very profitable, some from the trading floor, to trade e-mini's and all but one has lost money. These guys are expert traders.

Not trying to sound "doom and gloom" here, but I have checked out many "strategies" over the last few years, and have not found any consistency trading real money, real time. The people making the money out there would have little reason to share (if they even exist).

When using the futures to determine basic short term market direction they are extremely valuable, but not as a trading vehicle...EXCEPT (always an exception )...as a hedging tool (much like how the institutions use them). IMHO....

I would like to read some real stories however :-)
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Don...........dont you run a daytraing firm or something ? I dont understand how its impossible to trade Eminis but possible to trade stocks, makes no sense to me....a pattern is a pattern & if you could trade JNPR
or KLAC or BRCM or whatever its no different than trading Nasdaq Eminis, I dont see the difference..........your comment that they are good for short term market direciton & not as a trading tool makes me laugh, Maybe your traders cannot trade them because they ae familair with a certain game, but doesnt mean you cannot make money trading futures, a pattern is a pattern is a pattern doesnt matter & if the same pattern is in Nasdaq Futures its in QQQ & also shown in many stocks also.........whats so hard to trade futures ?......because 1 emini is = 820 shares of stock & its more agressive YES, thats a point BUT If you cannot trade NASDAQ how could you trade thier stocks ? what is the big difference ?......YES also if you took guys from the FLOOR & are now upstairs....of course they will lose....differnt game for the,...but a TRADER in front of his montiors should trade STOCKS & FUTURES equally...a pattern is a pattern.......Chris
 
First off let me say that we have been members of the CME since the early 1980's. Trading in the pits, trading off-floor, trading baskets vs. contracts, the whole game...and all I was trying to get across is that I would "challenge" anyone to show me a consistent return trading emini's. There is no underlying motive here (we charge for emini trading, but we do better if traders are successful, and therefore continue their trading career). I love trading futures, but I have to admit that I prefer trading equities since I am confident in the strategies based on performance.

(I just bought some emini's as we speak....Rate announcement). Scalped 1.5 points...good! (This is real, just happened to be a coincidence).

I wish that some of you wouldn't try too hard to read something negative in my posts, I like to be honest in my opinions and always listen to others. If I was trying to "drum up business" I think I would be a much nicer guy on the board, telling people what they want to hear, not my reality.

(darn, I sold too soon!).

The term trading is all-encompassing, and we all have a slightly different intepretation. When you make money consistently using whatever method you like...and trading whatever vehicles you like, then you are a trader. Our game is easy to keep score in, right? If you are satisfied with your results trading pork bellies or even forex (for God's sakes)...then great. I like to see traders do well, then they stay with us longer, and we are all happy.

I just get a bit tired of seeing the same old people selling the same old strategies to new people who just haven't figured out yet that (most) systems don't have any quantifiable results.

So trade them mini's make a million!! :-):)
 
I went from trying to trade a universe of stocks to a basket of stocks to the QQQ in order to simplify my life. But, in order to trade the QQQ I needed to monitor the NQ on a couple of time frames. I found when the NQ triggered a buy signal it could move
quite significantly, but the move on the QQQ frequently was rather small. (and not easy to get filled) So now I trade the NQ and usually based of just S/R and Fibs and a few favorite patterns. I'd like to have a better selection of indicators.

I think Don Bright mentioned the spread between FMV and the NQ as one indicator. Does any data provider have a graphic for this MA? How about Nasdaq volume and the Tick?

As for a reliable system for trading the NQ? I have NOT backtested this but my observation has been that when the Tick is reading at an extreme low and stochastics and RSI are turning up it's a pretty safe time to enter long. Good Luck!

EC

Don, if I am successful over the next year or so at this I'll document my trading strategies related to the NQ and post them here.
 
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