Also, I highly suggest to use these terms in STOCK TWITS www.stocktwits.com, rather than in twitter itself. They have a good community of traders, who collaborate via twitter or twit via stock twits directly. Some of those guys are professional traders who share great ideas.

You can trade all these futures with us at Optimus Trading Group www.optimusfutures.com

Equity Index

ES_F Emini S&P Futures Index

NQ_F NASDAQ 100 Futures Index

DJ_F Dow Jones Futures Index

YM_F Mini Dow Jones Futures Index

EMD_F –  E-mini S&P MidCap 400 Futures

TF_F –   mini Russell 2000 Futures

Metals

GC_F Gold Futures

SI_F Silver Futures

HG_F –   Copper Futures

PL_F –   Platinum Futures

AL_F –   Aluminium Futures

Energy

CL_F Crude Futures

NG_F Natural Gas Futures

Debt Instruments

ZB_F –  30 Year U.S. Treasury Bonds Futures

ZN_F –  10 Year U.S. Treasury Notes Futures

Currencies

6C_F –   CAD/USD Futures

6S_F –   CHF/USD Futures

6B_F –   GBP/USD Futures

6N_F –   NZD/USD Futures

6M_F –   MXN/USD Futures

6E_F –   EUR/USD Futures

6J_F –   JPY/USD Futures

Futures and Commodity Symbols for Twitter and StockTwits is a post from: Futures Trading Blog for Independent Self-Directed Traders and System Traders

Watch the video above about managed Futures.

Also get a full performance report : Managed Futures by Top Manager

Video:: What are Managed Futures? is a post from: Futures Trading Blog for Independent Self-Directed Traders and System Traders

This is also our clearing firm.
if you need more info about our clearing please contact us 800 771 6748

Matt Zimberg

Vision Financial Markets Review is a post from: Futures Trading Blog for Independent Self-Directed Traders and System Traders

It does not matter if you are a self-directed trader, use an automated system of your own or other vendors; there is one key factor behind it all:

Methodology + Execution=Results

The purpose of this short description is to discuss trade execution which many investors/traders lack information about. Initially, the entire focus is on the Methodology and obviously the profits and/or losses behind any system depend on its methodology, and its logic in analyzing past behavior over a given time-frame.

However, proper execution of a given methodology can be a factor in contributing to improve or worsen a system’s performance. Many brokers and system developers talk about slippage, but there are many other factors that can drive down the performance of a system.

We, at Optimus feel that if a brokerage firm advertises the use of automated trading systems, they should at the very least meet the following criteria:

Personnel:

Anything that is mechanical, software driven and/or relies on any type of technology will experience down-time.  It’s a question of “when” and not “if”. The personnel has to be knowledgeable and ready to either stop the system, and/or switch to manual execution to offset or trigger any positions.  Familiarity of the staff with the different software and trading programs will allow a fast response time and smooth transition while the automation software is once again functional.

Fast and uninterrupted Internet Connection

When a signal is generated and a trade needs to be executed, communication must be transmitted at lightning speed to the exchange. Since most orders are “At the Market”, it needs to get filled ASAP. The difference between where the system should be executed theoretically and where it is executed in real life is called Slippage. The goal is to minimize slippage.

Back Up Internet Connection

Although a home based internet connection is connected via one line, it should be noted that a business should have a minimum of two connections. In the event that one drops, the other will pick up the connection.  We at Optimus have created a “Bonded T1 Lines” where we have two T1 connections in case one drops the other will pick up. In the event that both drop, Optimus has also a cable line to pick. The connectivity throughout the day will alternate between those services that have the highest speeds.

Electricity Backup

It is advised that every computer will have individual back up battery in the event there is an electricity shortage. This would allow alerting the necessary parties that power needs to be restored. Ideally, there should be an offsite trading facility to transfer the entire operation to while the backup provides this temporary solution.

Signal Generation vs. Order Generation

This is something that traders need to grasp. There are platforms that are being used for order generation, but they don’t actually fire off the trade to the exchange.

Why is this important for you? Because communication, speed and interaction between the two sides may have negative consequences on your trading.  The execution machine and the order generation have to communicate at fast speeds for accurate execution while they are both connected at all times.

Why? Trading systems are being written in code, sometimes the code has to be on one machine while an order execution is attached to it. Let’s use an example.

TradeStation (TS) is a highly recognized platform for traders and systems developers because it allows the use of Easy Language which is a very common programming language for traders. However, TS could be used as a brokerage or you can simply use it as a platform to generate signals. You can hook up your TS to an execution machine of your choice. We for example, use NinjaTrader or TradeMaven, which are the execution side to the exchange. Essentially the two machines are “talking” to each other on the same server, while the execution machine fires off trades to the exchange as the methodology dictates.

Data Feed and the Execution Machine

There has to be a data feed coming from the exchange in live stable and streaming manner.  Whatever instrument you choose to trade it must feed both the signal generation machine and also the execution machine. Some data streaming are better than others. We at Optimus use institutional grade quotes such as CQG and Rithmic.

In Summary

We have tried to provide you with the most basic elements that a broker executing systems trading should have at his disposal. At the end of the day, a brokerage in this field also has to be highly forward looking entity seeking the best solutions for its trading clients.

Please call us at your convenience if you have any questions. 800 771 6748 Open a Futures Account for System Trading Here

Best,

Matthew Zimberg

What can your broker do to create a top notch facility for automated trading execution and WHY you should care? is a post from: Futures Trading Blog for Independent Self-Directed Traders and System Traders

The Full John Henry Performance Report

JWH: Early on I read Reminiscences of a Stock Operator, the autobiography of Bernard Baruch, and the writing of W.D. Gann. I was particularly taken with Gann’s philosophy. I had been a student of philosophy and quickly began to find a bias toward trading philosophy over and above results. I always distrusted results in the commodity markets and eventually across all markets. Life is too dynamic to place a lot of credence in the past results of any program or any trader. I strongly felt that the key to success in markets over the very long term was in having a valid philosophy of the markets that could not be shaken by results over the short or intermediate term. I equated this with valid philosophies in other areas such as business principles that endure regardless of cycles. With any valid philosophy in any field, there are going to be periods in which doing the right thing every day appears to be counterproductive. If Keynes said, “In the long run, we are all dead,” I would say, “Remaining true to your principles, if they are valid, will produce great results over the long run.”

Click here for more about  Managed Futures Program By John Henry

John Henry Trading Philosophy is a post from: Futures Trading Blog for Independent Self-Directed Traders and System Traders

CLICK HERE FOR PERFORMANCE REPORT OF JOHN HENRY FUTURES TRADING

JWH Vision is composed of 12 diverse markets listed at a CME Group exchange, which include futures on metals, currencies, interest rates, stock indexes, energies, livestock and the grain sectors. In addition to the trend-following component used on the diversified portfolio, the program will also include an equity index overlay component that has historically had a low correlation to the trend following approach. This individually managed account structure will be offered beginning at $250,000, a much lower minimum investment entry level than offered by other premier investment managers.

“The new JWH Vision is the right product at the right time. The events of 2008 and ongoing financial crisis continue to reinforce our core tenet that no one can predict the future and the inclusion of a disciplined and systematic approach to investing in a truly diversified set of markets is a necessary component of every investment portfolio,” stated Kenneth S. Webster, President and COO, John W. Henry & Company, Inc. “We are offering it with Vision, a leading proponent of managed futures, because Vision shares our views on the importance of including managed futures in any properly diversified asset allocation strategy and has been supporting this belief with their clients for nearly 30 years. We are offering a product that has a highly attractive minimum investment, which is ideal for the individual and institutional investor, and provides access to the highly liquid and transparent listed products at CME Group.”

Vision Financial Markets is the exclusive distributor of the new JWH Vision Program. “Vision is thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the John W. Henry & Company, Inc, a firm built on the fundamental principle of disciplined trend following managed futures investing,” stated Howard Rothman, President, Vision Financial Markets. “We at Vision believe that the addition of the JWH Vision program to our current product offerings provides individuals and institutions the opportunity to invest with a legendary advisor and benefit from JWH’s 27 years of experience and dedication to a non-predictive and systematic approach to managed futures investing.”

PERFORMANCE REPORT OF JOHN HENRY FUTURES TRADING

“With listed futures across every major asset class, CME Group is the ideal marketplace to provide liquid, transparent markets for customers looking to be involved in the futures market through managed futures,” said Rick Redding, CME Group Managing Director of Products and Services. “We look forward to working with Vision Financial Markets and John W. Henry & Company to provide educational information and programs to help customers make informed investment decisions.”

Details of JWH Vision
JWH Vision is a systematic managed futures strategy developed by JWH, and has as its foundation the same investing principles and philosophy employed by JWH since it began managing client assets in 1982. JWH Vision consists of a trend-following component and incorporates an equity index overlay component that is currently only offered through the JWH Vision Program. JWH believes this program offers qualified investors an exceptional opportunity to obtain potential investment advantages including long-term, positive returns, portfolio diversification and overall portfolio risk reduction based on hypothetical returns that have historically been uncorrelated with traditional equity and bond markets.

John W. Henry & Company, Inc. and Vision Financial Markets LLC Launch New Managed Futures Program with CME Group Products is a post from: Futures Trading Blog for Independent Self-Directed Traders and System Traders

On September 1, 2009, Vision began offering a new, exclusive managed futures portfolio from John W. Henry & Company, Inc (“JWH®”), one of the most respected names in the managed futures industry. JWH® offers potential diversification within portfolio sectors and markets. There is a low historical correlation between managed futures and traditional equity and fixed income markets as well as hedge fund styles.

800 771 6748 OR CLICK HERE FOR PERFORMANCE John Henry Managed Futures Performance

JWH Vision Program (“JWH Vision”) is a systematic managed futures strategy developed by one of the pioneers of the managed futures industry, John W. Henry & Company, Inc, and has as its foundation the same investing principles and philosophy employed by JWH® since it began managing client assets in 1982.

JWH Vision consists of a trend-following component and incorporates an uncorrelated equity index overlay component that is currently only offered through the JWH Vision program. The JWH Vision portfolio was constructed using the most liquid CME Group (CME, CBOT, NYMEX and COMEX) products allowing for low barriers of entry in an Individually Managed Account (“IMA”) structure with minimum account participation beginning at $250,000. The portfolio includes allocations to diverse market sectors including grains, metals, interest rates, currencies, energies and equities.

800 771 6748 OR CLICK HERE FOR PERFORMANCE John Henry Managed Futures Performance

The trend-following model seeks to identify and capitalize on long-term price movements and can hold positions that are either long or short. Position sizes in the model are dynamic and adjust to market volatility. The equity index overlay component is designed to have a low correlation to the trend following strategy and establishes long and short positions in the e-mini S&P 500 futures contract, the most widely followed U.S. equity benchmark, and also traded at CME Group. The equity trading system is price driven and operates independently of single stock and market fundamentals and related forecasts. The time horizons of these directional stances can range from very short to intermediate in term.

The objective of JWH Vision is to provide investors access to a professionally managed futures program that incorporates the benefits of over a quarter century of research and experience in disciplined and systematic investing for clients. The IMA structure provides investors with complete position transparency and full account liquidity in addition to the stability and market liquidity provided by trading exclusively in extremely liquid exchange traded futures contracts.

800 771 6748 OR CLICK HERE FOR PERFORMANCE John Henry Managed Futures Performance

Please be advised that trading in futures and options involves substantial risk of loss and is not suitable for all investors. The IMA structure provides investors with complete position transparency and full account liquidity in the addition to the stability and market liquidity provided by trading exclusively in liquid exchange traded futures contracts. Please be advised that trading futures and options involves substantial risk of loss and is not suitable for all investors. There are no guarantees of profit no matter who is managing your money.

Managed Futures Program: JWH (John Henry Company) Vision Financial Markets is a post from: Futures Trading Blog for Independent Self-Directed Traders and System Traders

800 771 6748 OR CLICK HERE FOR PERFORMANCE John Henry Managed Futures Performance

We believe this program offers qualified investors an opportunity to potentially obtain long-term positive returns not historically correlated to traditional investments in stocks and bonds, diversification across a broad spectrum of exchange traded highly-liquid CME Group markets and provides investors with complete transparency utilizing an individually managed account structure.

800 771 6748 OR CLICK HERE FOR PERFORMANCE John Henry Managed Futures Performance

JWH Vision is available at a minimum investment of $250,000 and provides liquidity with no lock-ups or redemption gates.
In order to better inform you about the JWH Vision Program, we have compiled and included some educational information for your review. This information also includes material produced directly by CME Group, the holding company that owns the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Chicago Board of Trade and the New York Mercantile Exchange (which together represent the largest futures market in the world).

In the meantime, if you have any questions about John Henry, please feel free to call us at this phone number 800 771 6748 or e-mail me us support AT optimusfutures.com (replace AT with @) . Please be advised that trading futures and options involves substantial risk of loss and is not suitable for all investors.  Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.

John W. Henry & Company, Inc. (“JWH”) Managed Futures Program is a post from: Futures Trading Blog for Independent Self-Directed Traders and System Traders

Matt

Happy Friday Guys!!

Today is September 11, a sad day to remember in the history of our country.  I woke up this morning and started thinking of all the people that got up to go to work that morning thinking it would be just like any other morning but they never got a chance to go back home.  Then I thought that some of those people were probably having a very stressful morning, where everything goes wrong and stress starts consuming the day.  I thought of how many people woke up and didn’t feel like going to work but knew they had to, of those who caught traffic on the way to work and cursed at the cab driver, the dog walkers, and even the ambulance that was blocking the intersection.  Maybe some of them spilled coffees on their shirts, and blamed it on the stupid lady at Starbucks that didn’t tighten the lid properly.  Then when they finally made it to work that morning, they were already too tired and frustrated to say good morning so they rushed to their desks without saying hello knowing that they already had a pile of work waiting for them and they didn’t have any time to waste with small talk. And then their worst nightmare happened…and I can’t even imagine the despair in their hearts, the pain of their families, and the feeling that they never got a chance to say  good bye, thank you or I love you.

I don’t want to be that person who is too busy at work to say good morning with a smile, to be pleasant even when work is stressful and most of all to say thank you.  So I am taking this chance to THANK all of you for being so good to me.  For helping me as much as you can with answering the phones when you know I am tied up, for bringing me coffee when it looks like I am about to pass out on my desk, for having a great sense of humor even in times that I am not up to joking with any of you.  Thank you for offering a helping hand carrying all the heavy stuff that I bring from the store, for being gentlemen and opening doors, for being patient and kind, and most of all, thank you for being friends that I know I could count on!

We spend a lot of time together, so in a way, we are like a big second family…and just like family, sometimes we disagree, sometimes we argue, sometimes we end up taking out our frustrations on each other.  I apologize for my actions lately, I don’t want to let stress get the best out me anymore!  I know that Optimus is growing and I am happy because that means that we are a little bit closer to achieving our goals & dreams.

For the time being, we don’t have anyone in the office to assist me with the new accounts, and fortunately we have a lot of new accounts coming in.  I need your help so that I am able to process everything correctly and on time.  There are a few little things that I am asking of you guys and I hope you could understand that it is for your own benefit as well.  I would really appreciate if you could send me emails with your daily requests as  you have started doing, because when you come over to my desk and just spill the beans, I have so many other things that I am working on that I might totally forget about your request and it won’t get done.  Please keep helping me with the phones, if it rings more than twice and I don’t pick it up, that’s a good indicator that I am either on the other line or I stepped away from my desk.  Other than that, please be patient, I didn’t forget about you and I am trying to do the very best that I can to answer all of your questions, process all of the accounts, etc.  Keep in mind that there are more of you and only one of me.  I really do appreciate all of your help!

Lastly, Matt is going away this weekend, and I am hoping that we could count on each other and be accountable and reliable for these three weeks.  I am counting on each one of you and myself included  to be even better and more responsible.  Let’s make him proud upon his return.  He has been good to us and his hard work reflects on the success of his company.

Matt, have a great trip! Relax! Enjoy! We’ll be here when you come back! Optimus will be fine!

All the best,

Jennifer

World’s BEST Commodity Brokerage Manager is a post from: Futures Trading Blog for Independent Self-Directed Traders and System Traders

Well….”besides the fact that he  runs your system on the same computer that he annoys his prospects, twits his life’s “adventures”,IMs all his buddies where to meet after work, eats his lunch noodles on and jams it with  hardcore core programs that slow down the heck out of his  computer?”. Silence on the receiver.

All jokes aside, automated trading systems have to run on dedicated servers and minimum connectivity of T1. This is to reduce latency issues when you trade on shirt term intervals such as day trading and/or swing trading.  Data needs to come in in a clean fashion, accurately and allow the system to execute it ASAP. Otherwise, if you don’t, other programs could slow down the computer and cause delays in data and execution.

This might have a bottom line effect on the performance of the system.

If you have your own automated trading system, or have one trade for you, ask your broker about the things above. Might save you a penny.

Matt

read more here: http://www.optimusfutures.com/commodity-futures-trading-system.htm

How the Same Automated Systems have Different Results for Different Brokers? is a post from: Futures Trading Blog for Independent Self-Directed Traders and System Traders