!QCL Solutions

Scalable Solutions for Institutional-Level Trading

Generally we recommend the latest TradeStation release and updates. This gives our clients access to the latest bug fixes. Recently we had been anticipating Update 8 since it was to resolve a memory leak we found in the platform months ago. This TradeStation memory leak was an issue that could affect products like TicketManager when they run for long periods of time, like 10 hours or more, without a platform restart. (If you are concerned with the memory leak issue, we can resolve the issue even without the patch in Update 8.)

Update 8 was released this week and we have been actively testing. As a result, we do Not recommend the Update 8 patch. If you have already applied the Update 8 patch, you may rollback to Update 7. We have tested the rollback process many times. It is effective and resolves problems introduced by Update 8.

At this time we recommend using: TradeStation 9.0 through TradeStation 9.1 – Update 7, but no further. We will notify our clients here, as soon as we find it safe to apply further TradeStation 9.1 updates.

If you have already installed Update 8 and need assistance rolling back to Update 7, call for TradeStation Tech Support here: 800.808.9336

For a quick video, demonstrating how you may Roll-back to TradeStation 9.1 Update 7, click on the image below:

Roll-back to TradeStation 9.1 Update 7

June 15, 2012 notes
TradeStation 9.1 Update 10 is currently a Beta release. In testing, the issues introduced by Update 8 appear to be resolved. We will continue to test and let you know if anything changes. We look forward to a full release of TradeStation 9.1 Update 10+.

July 26, 2012 notes
TradeStation 9.1 Update 10 is now in full (i.e. production) release. We have tested TicketManager ( Version 27 ) extensively in Update 10 and performance is good. So we are now recommending that TicketManager (Version 27 ) clients apply the 9.1 patch. The issues introduced by Update 8 have not disappeared, but we have worked around them. If with any other application, you have trouble after applying Update 10, see instructions above for rolling back… TradeStation is already developing further updates for the 9.1 platform. We look forward to their release as they are to resolve issues reported on behalf of clients.

TradeAssistant is an Add-On available on the TradeStation Strategy Network. It is a fast and flexible order placement tool.

Another powerful TradeAssistant advantage is that of placing entry orders protected by bracket exit orders, fast. With any position there is always a price at which you would take profit and there should always be a level at which you stop losses. Otherwise your reward-to-risk probabilities are likely disproportionate. So it makes sense to protect positions as soon as they are created. This is done by have filled entry orders trigger bracket exit orders, as in the following video demonstration:

TradeAssistant place multiple entry orders with exit brackets, fast

OCA groups (also called OCO groups) can significantly increase your trading opportunities without high margin costs and risks of placing multiple independent orders. Let’s say you want to buy any one Dow 30 stock if it drops from the daily open price by 5% or more. Placing 30 separate orders would be costly, and you would be exposed to risks (however unlikely) that you get filled on all 30 orders.

The solution is to place the 30 orders in an OCA group. If one is filled, or even begins to fill, all the other orders are cancelled. And if by some technical glitch more than one is filled, then the broker bears the responsibility. This stems from the fact that the orders are managed by the broker’s conditional servers.

TradeAssistant is an Add-On available on the TradeStation Strategy Network. It is a fast and flexible order placement tool. Among it’s many uses, it can quickly create, cancel or otherwise manage OCA group orders. Click on the image below to see a video demonstration.

If you are a current TradeStation customer or are considering TradeStation, we hope that you try TradeAssistant. We will customize a TradeAssistant environment to best serve your needs. Let us know if you have any questions.

Questions:

– How do I subscribe to TradeAssistant?
Video Instructions: Subscribing to TradeAssistant on the TradeStation Strategy Network

– Can TradeAssistant orders be kept on TradeStation when I logout? …Yes
Video Instructions: Keeping TradeAssistant orders on TradeStation servers when logging out

– Can TradeAssistant orders be issued with protective stops that become active when the primary order is case filled? …Yes
Video Instructions: TradeAssistant – OCO group orders with OSO protective stops

– What is the best practice when closing TradeStation while leaving TradeAssistant orders on TradeStation servers?
Video Instructions: TradeAssistant – When closing TradeStation with TradeAssistant orders to remain on servers (avoid unintentional duplication)

– How can I place orders before market open, close TradeStation and have my orders become active later?
Video Instructions: TradeAssistant – Using ActivationStartTime to place orders before market open and close TradeStation

SethVideo_4-17-2012 6-44-08 PM

Image Compression Technology

Click on the image, or link, above to see a video presentation of an exciting image compression technology. (The MP4 video is over 132 MB. It may take several minutes to begin running on your machine. Please be patient.)

TicketManager now comes with the !QCL.EquityCurveOptimizer companion strategy. It works as a filter for TradeStation strategy signals generated in the same chart. When equity performance is positive, equity-curve settings can allow trade information to be sent to TicketManager for automation. When equity performance of strategy signals is negative, equity-curve settings can disallow trade information from being sent to TicketManager for automation. Optimization of equity-curve settings can be performed with the !QCL.EquityCurveOptimizer companion strategy as demonstrated in the following video:

EqtyCrvOpDemo_4-5-2012 1-31-23 AM

EquityCurveOptimizer

TicketManager on the Strategy Network is available for trials.

For help with your TicketManager workspaces and settings, contact us at [email protected]

We thank you for comments. But due to the high number of spam comments we are unable to review them all. As time permits, we will review and approve brief and clearly relevant comments.

The demonstration workspace of TicketManager launched from the TradeStation Strategy Network Dashboard has 4 symbols running in RadarScreen to automate strategies for those symbols. So trading in all 4 symbols is possible, but the demonstration only automates one of the symbols.

In order to show how TicketManager works, it automates the SPY symbol running in two separate charts with a demonstration strategy). The important points are that:
1) TicketManager can automate trading for any symbol, running one or more strategies in a TradeStation chart.
2) TicketManager can automate trading for multiple charts with the same symbol. This is done by aggregating trades in the different charts by symbol and account.
3) TicketManager avoids traditional strategy automation problems with synchronization, making automation more robust and handsfree.
4) TicketManager makes traditional strategy automation scalable to institutional-level trading by managing aggregated strategy orders as tickets rather than individual orders. Tickets are order instructions that can be executed with one or more orders. Tickets are managed algorithmically to control market impact or to pursue price improvement.
5) TicketManager can be used for all of your TradeStation strategy automation. It can automate trading for as many symbols as you like. It can aggregate numerous strategies and time frames. It avoids boxing restrictions for stocks bypassing the need for separate short and long equity accounts. Basically, TicketManager makes strategy automation simple and scalable.

As a first step to getting more familiar with TicketManager, you may want to add charts to the demonstration workspace to automate one of the other symbols running the TicketManager application in RadarScreen. Here is an example video:

TicketManager demonstration video

Let us know if you have any questions. And if you need a workspace setup for you particular trading needs, send an email to [email protected].

TicketManager is available on the TradeStation Strategy Network, as an algorithmic automation system, so that serious traders can have truly manageable and institutionally-scalable automation.

But TicketManager is more than just a solution to TradeStation automation. It is an algorithmic order execution system that can be accessed from external applications. If you want to route orders into TradeStation from you own custom application, from MatLab, from other brokers’ platforms, etc. TicketManager can be your solution, as seen in the demonstration video. (Click on the image, and give the video a few moments to load.)

TicketManagerS API demonstration

The rally was significant, but as noted in the preceding post it was on an average rate of trading.

Here is how the chart finished, with the rate of trading ranking as the 17th most active day in the last 30. And the rate of trading oddly ran along the monthly average rate most of the day. See the circled region on the chart.

12-20-2011 4:51:23 PM ET

One of the reasons we released EquityMarketsVolume was to give traders a way to verify what is being reported.

Today we heard much about the strong rally in stocks and in oil prices. The price increases are significant and encouraging to anyone on the long side. There is nothing wrong with that.

When first hearing the news about a “surge” in trading and that this rally was too strong to be faded, we decided to check. Here is how EquityMarketsVolume looked at the time of the CNBC reports:

12-20-2011 11:33:26 AM ET

The image tells us that the reports are just hype. Doesn’t mean that the rally doesn’t continue, or that it doesn’t end up attracting high-volume activity, but high volume is not how the market got where it is right now.

Equity markets volume actually began the day at a lower than average rate. The rate of trading increased to the monthly average and, as can be seen in the image, has ridden that monthly average rate of trading. As a result, it is not surprising that the rate of trading is on pace to be the 15th most active day of the last 30 days. Point being, as far as trading activity goes, it is an average day.

So is it ill-advised to fade the rally today?… Maybe! As CNBC’s Cramer said long before going to CNBC, “Never underestimate the Wall Street hype machine.”