I LOVE the HSI futs!

Quote from mokwit:

On front ends you have to use a ladder and my experience is that only Button trader was able to cope with the speed and range of some of the moves.

Also helpful to have the auto strategy capabilities - this is a market where an auto trailing stop can make more sense than acting manually (too slow).
More...

I am using zeroline ---it is more like TT. I took me a while to get used this IB setup. But I like the fact that IB offers so much asian stuff. Trading the Hang Seng reminds of the Dax way back in 2000-2001. When TT first rolled out X-trader --we were using it (desk I was trading for). I would be looking at the dax on x-trader and the damn thing would just disappear!
 
I wouldn't recommend rolling the day of expiration (always the last business day of the month) unless you like to punt. The expiration price is the price of the cash taken at 5 minute intervals over the entire day. Thus the roll will swing around with the new front month future.
 
Interesting. A little on light on the volume. I just talked to a friend of mine and he said there was a lot of manipulation by a few big players. Is this true? Can anyone verify?
 
From my observations, yes. Easily done in the liquidity airpockets between institutional levels as it is very thin relative to balance sheets of IB's and hedge funds. We have our own 'Flipper' who I call 'Mr 50' as he uses around 50 contracts (A 50 clip! , gosh I bet he gets all the girls!) to cause people to cover into his opposing bid/offer but sometimes it's a genuine stand/iceberg order (good trade when one clears). Basically the manipulators practice stop running and what I have heard termed 'anti- technical analysis - whack it the other way to what the chart says into you bids/offers and then back where it should go. Any obvious stop level will always be penetrated by 3 ticks to get the stops.

Best time to trade is when the cash is panicking/euphoric and driving the futures otherwise you are effectively trying to trade against collusion. On some days you can run with the stop runners but it is a difficult market when it is in a range.

Things to look out for to confrm the above are the tape at S/R on range days - watch what orders of 10 contracts and above are doing at stop levels and those 200-600 orders that are pulled in a sharp move - not institutional stops, a baited trap being moved. also watch for signalling to other players eg 2x200 contracts showing stacked on the offer.

On the no news issue some numbers come out at lunch time e.g. net short positions - be wary on days when it is flat and very thin ahead of the lunch break. It could go either way or react to news or as I suspect a few people get together at lunch time to "discusss' levels.
 
Great post Mokwit,

I spend a lot of time watching the pushes back. If you have a direction already its often a good opportunity to exit and fill a bit better with your original stops.

They do get me at times though :eek:
 
Something that might be useful to people trading hsi. I spent some time highlighting the holidays that were not weekend days.

<img src="http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=723943">
 

Attachments

You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top