Info on smart money

arturo100 · Mar 6, 2016

I am looking for sources where info on smart money can be found. By smart money, I mean transactions make by knowleadgeable people like insiders, funds, etc. Also, I tend to consider significant bets on options as interesting transactions, made by people who might know something we don't (otherwise they wouldn't be risking so much money). I write down the first few resources. Please feel free to add/discuss other sources.

1) The SEC web site collects within 3 days any transaction made by executives, insiders, funds, etc. on a given society. Great stuff.

http://www.sec.gov/edgar/searchedgar/companysearch.html

2) 'Suspicious' bets on options are collected by people at OptionMonster. Though they disclose a few of them for free, their service is espensive.

http://www.optionmonster.com/

3) Many investors believe that rising short interest positions in a stock is a bearish indicator. Bi-montly info is collected here.

http://www.nasdaq.com/quotes/short-interest.aspx

K-Pia · Mar 6, 2016

IMO. You won't find valuable information on the web.
Or you could try to hack some mail boxes or terminals.
Even guys in the industry have hard time figuring this out.
I mean ... Information. I may be wrong, I'll follow that thread.

Ps: CFTC's COT reports provide, on a weekly basis, an aggregate of future settlements.
What about filtering stocks experiencing unusual volume ?

arturo100 · Mar 6, 2016

Thanks for your answer. I agree with you that a little hacking could help here.. :-)

BTW I like the resource you mentioned. Is it only for commodities or are there also some specific stocks?

Bob111 · Mar 6, 2016

Define funds. Most of them imo care less about performance.their game is to collect fees.

K-Pia · Mar 6, 2016

arturo100 said:
Thanks for your answer. I agree with you that a little hacking could help here..
BTW I like the resource you mentioned. Is it only for commodities or are there also some specific stocks?

Unfortunately it's only about futures and options on Index, Commodities, Rates and Currencies. Not all exchange a represented neither.
Here is a nice GUI of these reports: http://www.cmegroup.com/tools-information/quikstrike/commitment-of-traders-agricultural.html

Can be useful to get the big picture (ES, NQ hedgers ...)

arturo100 · Mar 6, 2016

Bob111 said:
Define funds. Most of them imo care less about performance.their game is to collect fees.

Absolutely. However among entities that must file a report to SEC there is any beneficial owner of greater than 10% of a class of equity securities.

zdreg · Mar 6, 2016

arturo100 said:
3) Many investors believe that rising short interest positions in a stock is a bearish indicator. Bi-montly info is collected here.

language is interesting because it is ever evolving. in my earlier years bi- monthly strictly meant every 2 months. an internet search shows that bi-monthly has evolved into meaning every 2 months or the old definition of twice a month.

it is noted favorably that not only did you ask an interesting question but you supplied useful links for possibly determining the answer.

arturo100 · Mar 7, 2016

Thanks, zdreg.
You are right: the data on short interests are released twice a month.

viktor_k67 · Mar 7, 2016

Inside trader does mean for me smart money. Smart money for me "big guys" who trade in big volumes.

The one who has an access to unlimited funds and who trade in big volumes can create a strong demand to buy or to sell and push a price up or down When I see strong volume surges I assume big guys are entering the game - volume shows footprints of big guys. We have to learn to understand volume changes in the meaning what "Big Guys" are doing...

The rest, on my opinion, is set to destruct the public.

K-Pia · Mar 8, 2016

viktor_k67 said:
Inside trader does mean for me smart money. Smart money for me "big guys" who trade in big volumes.

The one who has an access to unlimited funds and who trade in big volumes can create a strong demand to buy or to sell and push a price up or down When I see strong volume surges I assume big guys are entering the game - volume shows footprints of big guys. We have to learn to understand volume changes in the meaning what "Big Guys" are doing...

The rest, on my opinion, is set to destruct the public.

"Success in trading relies on simple rules. Overwhelming force is generally good – you just have more money than everybody else and can hang on until everybody is forced out of the game. Ganging up is effective – you just get together with other traders and fall upon a weakened animal like hyenas or wolves. Ambush is also good – you know something that the other guy does not know, at least not yet. Flow traders are well-versed in ambush. It also helps to be lucky – better to be a lucky fool than an unlucky genius."

Quote from Traders, Guns & Money.