Fully automated futures trading

BTW: Are you trading any of the following: XINA50, STW, HSI, HHI.CH, NIFTY, TOPX? I've been having fun with XINA50, and there is a trend there (although I just trade it in a daytrading fashion).

Short answer no. But if I had a few million in this account I would
 
Adding one contract causes no problem. But to add 10 Asian equities would

A: reduce the size I had in all other instruments proportionally causing me size issues elsewhere
B: seriously un diversify my portfolio as right now I only have 4% optimal in Asian equitirs

All in Chapter 12 ..... coming soon!
 
the e-book isn't like, Kindle dependent, right? is it basically a downloadable pdf?

i did a quick scan on the site and couldn't readily find the answer..
 
the e-book isn't like, Kindle dependent, right? is it basically a downloadable pdf?

i did a quick scan on the site and couldn't readily find the answer..

No it isn't kindle dependent. You get an option of kindle or using a free e book reader.

By the way it looks like the publisher haven't yet got the back end working for the pre-order. I'll let you know when that is sorted.

Thanks for the support.

GAT
 
Time for the semi regular update (sorry been busy proofreading the book [pre-ordering system is now working] and doing TV stuff).

plot.jpg

Up a 'massive' 0.4% or £1600 in money terms, although it's been an interesting ride (you can probably see the point at which the greek government decided to shrug their shoulders and say 'sue' me). I had to reduce my Eurostoxx hedge, since it was clear that the beta was all wrong with what was going on.

Drawdown is 17.1%.

All about the ags complex this fortnight:

Big gainers
Soybeans £8.9K
Wheat £2.6K
NZD £2.4K
PALLAD £1.9K
GOLD £1.8K
MXP £1.8K

Big losers:
Corn -£5.8K
Kospi -£1.6K

Soya: Was long 1 contract 2 weeks ago; now long 3 contracts
Trades:
4267 SOYBEAN 201511 2015-06-22 14:30:00 1 947.250000
4294 SOYBEAN 201511 2015-06-24 15:22:48 1 961.750000
4315 SOYBEAN 201511 2015-06-29 12:15:04 1 985.250000
4375 SOYBEAN 201511 2015-07-02 12:03:36 -1 1029.750000


soya.jpg


Corn: Was short 5 contracts two weeks ago; now short just one contract
Trades:

4291 CORN 201512 2015-06-24 14:30:00 1 378.750000
4303 CORN 201512 2015-06-25 18:11:08 1 391.250000
4354 CORN 201512 2015-06-30 17:18:26 1 412.750000
4390 CORN 201512 2015-07-02 14:30:00 1 430.000000


corn.jpg

.... I think this is what is known as a 'hedge'. Classic trend following behaviour; one system was the right way round and bought into the strengthening rally (with a little bit of profit taking at the end), the other cut it's position which was the wrong way round.

These are such fascinating moves I will do a blog post in more detail explaining in more detail why I had these two positions on, and why I traded as I did.

Current position:

Code:
       code contractid  positions   Lock WrongContract InFwdNotRoll
1       AUD     201509         -1  False         False        False
3      BOBL     201509          1  False         False        False
16   COPPER     201512         -1  False         False        False
17     CORN     201512         -1  False         False        False
10  CRUDE_W     201512         -1  False         False        False
18  EDOLLAR     201812          3  False         False        False
19  EDOLLAR     201809          2  False         False        False
11  EUROSTX     201509        -13  False         False        False  (hedge)
2    GAS_US     201509         -1  False         False        False
8      GOLD     201508         -2  False         False        False
14      JPY     201509         -1  False         False        False
6       KR3     201509          6  False         False        False
9       MXP     201509         -6  False         False        False
15      NZD     201509         -3  False         False        False
20   PALLAD     201509         -2  False         False        False
12     PLAT     201510         -3  False         False        False
13  SOYBEAN     201511          3  False         False        False
7       US2     201509          3  False         False        False
5       US5     201509          1  False         False        False
0       V2X     201508          3  False         False        False
4       VIX     201508         -2  False         False        False

Risk:
Code:
Expected annual risk more than GBP6400 per year, GBP400 per day
       code  multisignal  expected_annual_risk  expected_annual_risk_per_contract  position  expected_annual_risk_rounded_pos
25      EUR        -23.4                 14867                              38552         0                                 0
24      AUD        -11.4                  7227                               5549        -1                              5549
30   COPPER        -16.3                 10342                               6898        -1                              6898
34  CRUDE_W        -15.8                 10039                               9963        -1                              9963
28      MXP        -16.1                 10227                               1845        -6                             11067
17      VIX        -20.6                 13104                               5852        -2                             11704
33     PLAT        -25.6                 16259                               4882        -3                             14645
31     GOLD        -32.1                 20418                               8127        -2                             16254
29      NZD        -23.1                 14677                               5472        -3                             16415
32   PALLAD        -26.5                 16858                               9646        -2                             19292
36  EDOLLAR         11.7                  7466                               1757         5                              8786
3   SOYBEAN         35.5                 22576                               7342         3                             22026

This is a new table so let me explain. 'multisignal' is the signal I have on. 'expected annual risk expected' is the risk I would ideally have on if I could buy/sell partial contracts (in £ of annualised standard deviation). 'annal_risk_per_contract' is the risk of each contract. 'position' is in contracts. 'annual_risk_rounded' is the risk I actually have on. So you can see the effects of rounding; I'd like to have a EUR position on but each contract has an enormous risk so I can't justify it.

Current expected portfolio risk is @ 95% of average; on 82% of maximum capital (due to the drawdown) or in money terms £4,880 a day or £78K a year (or if you like, 19.5% of my maximum capital, and 23.7% of my current reduced capital; versus long run targets of 25%).

Trades:
Code:
         code contractid     filled_datetime  filledtrade  filledprice
4306      AUD     201509 2015-06-29 01:29:33           -1     0.759200
4372     BOBL     201509 2015-07-02 07:32:49            1   129.590000
4264      BTP     201509 2015-06-22 07:34:45            1   131.260000
4291     CORN     201512 2015-06-24 14:30:00            1   378.750000
4303     CORN     201512 2015-06-25 18:11:08            1   391.250000
4354     CORN     201512 2015-06-30 17:18:26            1   412.750000
4390     CORN     201512 2015-07-02 14:30:00            1   430.000000
4312  CRUDE_W     201512 2015-06-29 12:09:45           -1    59.480000
4255  EUROSTX     201509 2015-06-19 13:53:52          -10  3478.000000
4336  EUROSTX     201509 2015-06-30 08:06:16            3  3460.000000
4363  EUROSTX     201509 2015-07-01 07:59:58            3  3465.000000
4366  EUROSTX     201509 2015-07-01 19:59:09           -1  3474.000000
4252     FTSE     201509 2015-06-19 13:46:46            2  6677.500000
4273   GAS_US     201508 2015-06-23 12:02:37            1     2.768000
4276   GAS_US     201509 2015-06-23 12:02:37           -1     2.782000
4261      GBP     201509 2015-06-22 02:39:42            1     1.587800
4282      GBP     201509 2015-06-23 13:51:13           -1     1.573100
4249     GOLD     201508 2015-06-19 12:05:23            1  1200.200000
4279     GOLD     201508 2015-06-23 12:09:48           -1  1181.800000
4300     GOLD     201508 2015-06-25 12:10:40           -1  1172.900000
4360      JPY     201509 2015-07-01 01:45:00            1     0.008167
4369      JPY     201509 2015-07-02 06:01:53           -1     0.008113
4270    KOSPI     201509 2015-06-23 02:42:08            1   255.250000
4297      KR3     201509 2015-06-25 01:48:59            1   108.970000
4387      MXP     201509 2015-07-02 12:38:43           -1     0.062870
4285   NASDAQ     201509 2015-06-23 14:41:02            1  4537.000000
4318   NASDAQ     201509 2015-06-29 14:08:05           -1  4429.000000
4393      NZD     201509 2015-07-02 18:20:29           -1     0.668300
4309   PALLAD     201509 2015-06-29 12:08:42           -1   670.750000
4378   PALLAD     201509 2015-07-02 12:09:34            1   695.850000
4342     PLAT     201507 2015-06-30 12:01:36            2  1081.700000
4345     PLAT     201510 2015-06-30 12:01:36           -2  1082.700000
4348     PLAT     201507 2015-06-30 12:04:28            1  1081.500000
4351     PLAT     201510 2015-06-30 12:04:28           -1  1082.500000
4267  SOYBEAN     201511 2015-06-22 14:30:00            1   947.250000
4294  SOYBEAN     201511 2015-06-24 15:22:48            1   961.750000
4315  SOYBEAN     201511 2015-06-29 12:15:04            1   985.250000
4375  SOYBEAN     201511 2015-07-02 12:03:36           -1  1029.750000
4288    SP500     201509 2015-06-23 14:44:03            1  2116.500000
4321    SP500     201509 2015-06-29 14:11:26           -1  2075.000000
4258      US5     201509 2015-06-19 14:36:31            1   119.328125
4333      VIX     201508 2015-06-29 17:12:02            1    16.400000
4339      VIX     201508 2015-06-30 11:08:56            1    16.600000
4357    WHEAT     201512 2015-06-30 18:23:59            1   603.750000

Slippage was £192 vs £204 expected (so my simple execution algo saved me £12).
 
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Okay pick a topic....

Just read this thread and scrolled through your blog - nice work!

I understand your current system is 'always-in' but can you run though how you would deal with position sizing if your signals would allow for 'no holding'? With position sizing a function of total portfolio risk, this would either require very frequent adjustment of 'existing' positions when a 'new' position is added / removed (and thereby potentially creating undesired 'noise' returns), or being constantly under invested by assuming a position in all instruments.
 
Just read this thread and scrolled through your blog - nice work!

I understand your current system is 'always-in' but can you run though how you would deal with position sizing if your signals would allow for 'no holding'? With position sizing a function of total portfolio risk, this would either require very frequent adjustment of 'existing' positions when a 'new' position is added / removed (and thereby potentially creating undesired 'noise' returns), or being constantly under invested by assuming a position in all instruments.

First my system isn't 'always in'. There is a minimum signal strength I need before establishing a position. However if I had enough capital it would be 'always in'.

Anyway, on to your question. I wouldn't trade any differently if I had a binary system, or a system where I had a lot of potential bets few of which were rarely active.

I don't, as you are suggesting, have a constant target expected risk that I'm hoping to achieve.

Effectively I size my portfolio according to the average number of bets I expect to have on over the long run; and according to what I expect the average correlation of those bets to be.

Let's suppose that on average I expect to have 10 trinary (long/short or no position) bets on out of a total of 20 possibilities.

I'll scale the overall system so I have on average the required amount of risk assuming I have 10 bets on, and for some average correlation of bets.

If I had fewer bets on than normal I would be taking less risk than average. That makes sense; you should always have risk on proportional to the opportunities available.

If I had more bets on than normal I would be taking more risk than average.

Closing a bet or adding a new bet has no effect on existing bets, and so doesn't require any trading.
 
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