Futures (Cedar Falls, IA) articles from February 2003

Futures (Cedar Falls, IA) archives from February 2003

Black gold. (Editor's Note).(geo-political aspects of oil)(Editorial)
February 1, 2003... "Fanaticism consists in redoubling your efforts when you have forgotten your aim." George Santayana I'm not sure who this quote necessarily applies to, but it seems appropriate in these saber- and market-rattling times. The constant...

Sound off!(crude oil and U.S. economy)(Column)
February 1, 2003... CRUDE OVERSIGHT Futures Outlook 2003 was interesting in what it did not mention. Outlook 2003 appears incomplete without a detailed analysis of crude oil prices. Crude oil price serves as a global value-added tax for all consumers, and is...

Clarification.(Correction Notice)
February 1, 2003... In our Top 50 Brokers of 2002 (December 2002) Fimat should have been listed among the top clearing firms at the Sydney Futures Exchange. Also, Bank of America Futures Inc. is a member of CME, Eurex, Euronext, HKFE, IPE, Liffe, Nymex, OSE, SGX,...

Trader's guide to technical indicators.
February 1, 2003... Testing, testing... After you have been plying your technical analysis craft for a while, you may begin to think about developing some kind of system to make your trading decisions a little easier. After all, certain patterns in prices or...

New platform for CBOT. (Out with the Old).
February 1, 2003... With the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) announcing it would replace its aide system with LiffeConnect from Euronext.Liffe, most U.S. T-bond and T-note traders will be operating on a new platform in 2004. However, if Eurex, which provided the...

Eurex plans U.S. venture. (Mutiny in Port Chicago).
February 1, 2003... The CBOT says it chose LiffeConnect as its new trading platform for its technical advantages over a/c/e (see "New platform for CBOT," left), and some time in 2004 will get a chance to see how good it really is -- regulatory approval permitting....

Internal strife hinders CBOE growth. (Fiddling in the Fire?).(Chicago Board Options Exchange)
February 1, 2003... Looking like Nero with fiddle in hand, the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) faces an internal political struggle while the exchange is dropping market share to a powerful new competitor. References to the fall of Rome may be an...

Fimat hit with S500,000 fine. (Reading Between the Lines?).
February 1, 2003... When new trading venue is introduced, traders often will look to find and exploit opportunities provided in the rules to get an edge over competitors and produce superior fills for customers. That is apparently -- judging from future commission...

Energy firms settle. (A Buyers Market).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Energy firms Dynegy and West Coast Power agreed to a $5 million settlement with the CFTC stemming from charges the firms violated the Commodity Exchange Act by intentionally providing false natural gas price and volume information to reporting...

Don't call me ponzi. (International News: Americas).(Aurum Society Inc. )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is coming down hard on Chicago-based Robbins Futures Inc. in a case filed early January that alleges the firm and its president, Joel Robbins, failed to supervise their employees' handling of...

Changes: big. (International News: Europe).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Both Clearstream, the subsidiary of Eurex parent Deutsche Boerse, and Brussels-based Euroclear, which provides settlement for Euronext, have hammered themselves into shape for a coming battle to dominate the European back-office landscape. ...

And small. (International News: Europe).
February 1, 2003... There also has been a flurry of little deals involving Germany's nifty little Euwax warrant trading platform and the exchange formerly known as OM London, among others. The Euwax project launched in late 2001 in the financial backwater of...

China--up or down? (International News: Pacific Rim).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Declining prices, a bearish stock market and a larger than estimated unemployment rate, are paradoxes amid the boast of economic growth in China. In a January 2003 article in the People's Daily, Qui Xiaohua, deputy director of China's...

New Carr CEO thinking globally. (Trading Places).
February 1, 2003... Carr Futures new CEO. Richard "Rick" Ferina, plans to chart a global route for the future of the Chicago-based futures brokerage firm. Ferina, whose appointment coincided with the resignation of Chairman and CEO Didier Varlet, says he will...

Powerhouse software: traders win with Unfair Advantage.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... When it comes to supplying summary world market data for analysis and charting, nothing beats the power of CSI[R]'s Unfair Advantage software. From daily updates to intricate file-building capabilities and innovative analysis techniques, Unfair...

More products on guaranteed bandwagon. (Managed Money Review).
February 1, 2003... The only guarantee equity markets have given over the last couple of years is you will lose money. A recent promotional letter from a mutual fund touted how it placed in the top 2% of its sector in 2002 -- at -6.38%. No wonder guaranteed funds...

Dow settles down. (Hot Commodities).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Since the end of the bull market in March 2000, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has been in steady decline interrupted by a couple of significant upward spikes. In October 2002 the Dow experienced its highest one-month increase since then. ...

Long-term volatility in bonds. (Hot Commodities).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The 30-year Treasury bond has experienced tremendous volatility over the last several months and with uncertainty over the economy and the possibility that the United States could be entering a war shortly, chances are volatility will be here...

Copper rebound. (Hot Commodities).
February 1, 2003... After giving buch most of the gains in made in a strong fourth quarter, copper appears to be using again. Conung off 2002 lows. March copper rallied over 0.10cents, reaching 77.20cents per lb, before bottoming out it 69.40 on the last trading...

Defending the yen. (Market Strategy).
February 1, 2003... Since the bursting of Japan's asset bubble, book closings in March and September have been tricky periods for the yen as it gets caught in the crossfire of repatriated earnings. The belief asset flows will favor the yen before this time often...

The Fed's next challenge. (Market Watch).
February 1, 2003... The coming year promises to be a fairly uneventful one for the Federal Reserve in terms of interest rate action, particularly in wake of a two-year period when the Fed cut rates 12 times for a total of 525 basis points and arguably saved the...

War or not, oil pressure rising: a quiet or quick resolution of the Iraq issue could take the steam out of crude oil prices quickly, but underlying strength from other factors suggests they are not likely to collapse any time soon. (Cover Story: Markets).
February 1, 2003... The major issues challenging energy traders -- war, weather, the weak economy haven't change. I much in the last year, but the pressure on prices has shifted. Instead of pushing prices lower, the main factors that influence energy prices are...

Trading for income in forex. (Forex Trader).
February 1, 2003... Many traders consider forex trading synonymous with aggressive speculation. There certainly isn't anything wrong with aggressive speculation if that's your style, but in 2003 such a sentiment for all forex traders will need to be adjusted. The...

Strangling the market: combining a Leaps in-the-money strangle with a series of short-term strangles can be a relatively conservative way to produce profits whichever way prices go. Here's how the strategy works. (Equity Trading Techniques).
February 1, 2003... It is said that when it comes to the marketplace, money isn't made or lost, it just changes pockets. In the movie, Jerry McGuire, Cuba Gooding's character's motto was, "Show me the money!" That should be your motto also, but it's going to take...

Trade a sympathetic market, get sympathy. (Trading Techniques).
February 1, 2003... Intermarket analysis, trolling past data for relationships that may be exploitable going forward, may be a good beginning for a trading strategy, but beware: such relationships shift with little warning It was six men of Indostan To...

Pivot points and candles. (Trading Techniques).(Column)
February 1, 2003... Pivot point numbers indicate support and resistance levels, candlestick chart patterns identify the tone of the market. Here's how you can use them together to spot key targets and reversals in the mini-sized Dow Blending the strengths and...

Navigating the interest rate storm. (Trading Techniques).
February 1, 2003... Economists have a difficult time making accurate forecasts because indicators lag reality, but you may want to take a look at reweighting your portfolio to account for inflationary influences amid a tidal change in interest rate patterns. ...

Refining Elliott wave triangle patterns. (Trading Techniques).(Column)
February 1, 2003... Completing the discussion of common Elliott wave patterns, here is the first report on the most common shapes of triangle patterns. Recognizing these patterns makes it easier to forecast market action more accurately. In the 60 years or so...

Real world options trading. (Technology & Trading).(Column)
February 1, 2003... Systematic options trading is dangerous territory if you're not prepared. Here we provide some real world examples highlighting some of the more serious issues to consider and lay the groundwork for future articles in which we'll give some...

Stop! You're killing me! (Futures 101).(Column)
February 1, 2003... Are stops a killer or a lifesaver? do they always 'get' you? traders say they can't live with them sometimes, but they can't do without them either. Here's how a veteran floor trader suggests you improve your stop placement. One topic that...

Unfair Advantage v. 2.6.1. (Software Review).
February 1, 2003... Commodity Systems Inc. 200 W. Palmetto Park Rd. Boca Raton, Fla. 33432 (561) 392-8663 www.csidata.com OVERALL RATING: **** PRICE: (12-month prepaid) For all global futures markets, $45/mo. plus one-time license tee...

Seeking the perfect formula through portfolio weighting. (Managed Money).
February 1, 2003... Trend-following works -- but not all the time in all markets. That is why managers trade many markets in many sectors. That way they can catch what trends are out there and avoid being concentrated in markets that may correlate after a major...

Funds review.(Illustration)
February 1, 2003... Funds Review 2002 public funds returns (THROUGH DECEMBER) Name of fund Trading advisor(s) U.S. Closed Alternative Asset Growth LP Multiple managers Captial Fund II ...

Tops & bottoms of 2002. (Tops & Bottoms).
February 1, 2003... 2002 was a year that saw continued erosion in confidence in our capital markets fueled by questionable accounting practices, corporate governance and analyst independence. But volatility led to record volumes. The futures industry heralded the...

Europe: the calm before the confusion. (Trade Trends).
February 1, 2003... Europe's economy managed to grow just one-third as much as that of the United States last year, and the European Central Bank sees just 1%-2% GDP growth in 2003 -- a full percentage lower than previous estimates. Can the coming Year of Change...

Margin Advisor. (Software).(new software from SunGard Securities Processing)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Margin Advisor, a processing solution that delivers real-time margin information on equities, fixed income and listed derivatives, has been released by SunGard Securities Processing. Margin Advisor continually analyzes margin account status and...

Townsend Analytics Ltd.'s RealTick. (Software).(offers new service)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Townsend Analytics Ltd.'s RealTick 7.6 introduced features to its RealTick trading platform designed to minimize costly mistakes using electronic trading that result from typos and similar errors. Among new safeguards, it supports suitability...

BSMR Time Cycles. (Software).(offers software)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... BSMR Time Cycles has developed a time cycle analysis software that predicts market-related events using various timing tools. The software combines methodologies into one program, assists in developing and refining financial strategies and can...

AbleSys Corp. (Software).(offers new service)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... AbleSys Corp. released an automatic order execution interface that connects its mechanical trading system, eASCTrend 6.0, with the futures brokerage Interactive Brokers (IB). The interface transfers customers buy and sell signals generated by...

Spectron Group PLC. (Software).(offers electronic marketplace for weather derivatives)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Spectron Group PLC has launched an electronic marketplace for weather derivatives using TradeCapture's B2B Exchange Tools software. Firms and companies can establish their own electronic marketplace for their customers and for the commodities...

optionsXpress. (Internet).(offers new service)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... optionsXpress has introduced Xspreads to www.optionsxpress.com. Instead of the standard spread execution process, Xspreads offers potential buyers and sellers a transparent view of all open spread trade orders. OptionsXpress also introduced a...

INO.com. (Internet).(offers new service)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... INO.com, an online information service for traders, has launched MarketClub at www.marketclub.com, an investment site designed for the individual trader. It spots price trends and analyzes chart formations in all the major markets. A technology...

Prophet Financial Systems. (Internet).(offers new service)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Prophet Financial Systems launched an online technical analysis suite at www.Prophet.net that offers a system for ongoing portfolio development and management. It is organized around three main sections: explore, analyze and manage. There are...

The Logical Trader: Applying a Method to the Madness. (Book Review).(Book Review)
February 1, 2003... By Mark Fisher John Wiley & Sons Inc. New York (2002) 256 pages, $59.95 Glancing at this book's cover, you might read the title mistakenly as, "THEOLOGICAL TRADER." That may not be too far off for skilled traders such as Mark...

The odyssey of Tim Ogunbiyi. (Trader Profile).
February 1, 2003... The action of a trading room first lured Tim Ogunbiyi. 33. out of law school in the early 1990s and into trading, but it was his "semi-proficiency" in modern Greek that gave him his big break. Now his Timed Currency Trading (TCT) system is...