Futures (Cedar Falls, IA) articles from July 2005

Futures (Cedar Falls, IA) archives from July 2005

Froth and all that.(Editorial)
July 1, 2005... In Alan Greenspan's presentation on the economy to Congress in early June, he noted there was some "froth" in the housing market, and yes, the persistence of low long-term interest rates like mortgages was puzzling... especially considering...

Is it or isn't it?(usage of trading software )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... In Murray A. Ruggiero's article, "Walking before you run with system optimization," February 2005, he stated "There is no off-the-shelf trading software currently available that does this walk forward optimization." There are several vendors...

How to trade shallow markets?(trends in commodity markets)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... I enjoyed the bit on lumber, "Hot Commodities," May 2005. What are techniques for low volume markets? Kind regards, Jonathan Horvath, President C-FX Asset Management, Inc. Via e-mail Brian Leonard, analyst with Rosenthal...

Diamonds in the rough: ISE does it again.(Trendlines)
July 1, 2005... When the six options exchanges in January worked out a deal to list options on Standard & Poor's Depository Receipts (Spiders) after the International Securities Exchange (ISE) announced plans to list them, there was little fear by the Chicago...

Cleaning the air: China integrating at its own speed.
July 1, 2005... China's commodity futures markets include the world's most liquid soybean contract, but until now the only entities allowed to trade them have been a few designated Chinese commercial operators. That looks about to change as China not only...

Permanent peace? Patsystems acknowledges infringement.(Trendlines)
July 1, 2005... Patsystems (Pats) became the first competitor of Trading Technologies to admit its software infringes on TTs patents, but Pats is scrapping the offending software and gained assurance from TT that it will not claim infringement of its patents...

Chartview: S.A. beans launch, meal to come?(South American )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... On May 20 the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) launched the much anticipated South American soybean contract but several end users at the launch event were more excited about the prospect of a South American meal contract. Last summer's spike...

Going Dutch: CBOE chips away at exercise rights.(Chicago Board Options Exchange )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... The over/under betting line on CBOE exercise rights to be offered back to CBOE in a modified Dutch auction was quoted at 400 several months ago by veteran CBOT floor broker and former director Harold Lavender. However, in late May CBOE...

Growing overseas.(joint ventures of New York Mercantile Exchange and Shanghai Futures Exchange )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... The popularity of bringing new contracts overseas continues as the New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex) and the Dubai government look to launch the Middle East's first energy and metals futures exchange. The joint venture will be called the...

MTS value boosted by bidding.(EuroMTS)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Pan-European bond platform MTS has seen its value top 250 million euros as the object of a bidding war between U.S. electronic platform eSpeed and the combined wallets of Euronext and Borsa Italiana, which are angling for a 51% stake. MTS was...

Nymex mini going home, later.(New York Mercantile Exchange)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Nymex has postponed the date it plans to migrate its e-mini (miNY) futures contracts to its Clearport platform from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange's (CME) Globex electronic trading platform to July 19. Nymex launched these two mini...

30-year bond case refiled.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... As the U.S. Treasury contemplates bringing back the 30-year bond, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) refiled charges in May that had been previously dropped against Steve Nothern, a former bond fund manager for Massachusetts Financial...

33 years of Futures ...(market analysis of future)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Futures has thrived for more than three decades by providing unbiased tips, news, profiles, advice and current market analysis. Here, we spotlight some events Futures has covered during its 33 years. This flashback includes some articles from...

Retail clients are "the stickiest".(Managed Money Review)
July 1, 2005... A group of experts dispelled some myths and advised managers of the best ways to market their programs to both institutional and retail investors at a June panel at the Managed Funds Association's (MFA) annual forum in Chicago. Many...

Jeffery nominated to head CFTC.(Reuben Jeffery III)(Commodity Futures Trading Commission)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Reuben Jeffery III was nominated chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. He is undergoing Senate hearings and confirmation in early June. The capital markets veteran most recently served as a special assistant to President George...

Demand drives 10-year.(Hot Commodities)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Tightening cycles are not supposed to be bullish for long-term interest rates, but as long as Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan keeps his pace measured, 10-year Treasuries seem to defy gravity. Despite talk of the economy's relative...

Caffeine low?(market research of coffee industry)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Coffee prices have been coming down in June based on mild weather in Brazil and the end of drought in Vietnam. "We're close to the bottom of the range here," says Judy Ganes-Chase, president of J. Ganes Consulting. She says that while the...

Corn could drop back below $2.00.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... While corn has managed to rally safely above its mendoza line, $2.00, analysts don't see much hope for continued strength unless the recent dry spring stretches into all-out drought. July corn prices seem stable despite the dry patch in...

Down-trending euro.(Hot Commodities)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... After a solid four-year run, the euro currency bull is showing signs of weakness. Bob Kozak, currency analyst at Alaron, blames the euro slide on the better than expected June U.S. trade deficit numbers. He also points out the political...

Aussie impact on Chinese policy.(economic policy)
July 1, 2005... At the midpoint of the year the mega themes affecting forex trading have been the developments in U.S. interest rates and China. The shapes of the U.S. and Chinese economies are profoundly important to the flow of capital and the value of...

What will further tightening bring?(MARKETS)(Cover Story)
July 1, 2005... The Federal Reserve does not appear ready to pause on its tightening path yet. The consensus among economists and analysts is that by late 2005 or so the Fed will raise the funds rate to 4%. So the Fed has put on the gloves and is fighting...

Tech talk.(reports of money markets)
July 1, 2005... In the second half of 2005, the single most important variable to watch in the currency market or any market for that matter is the Federal Reserve's tightening cycle. Not the actual moves but, more specifically, the bias of the central bank....

Crosspairs are worth watching.(Forex Trader)
July 1, 2005... We all know trading forex is not easy. Forex price patterns reflect a complex interaction of fundamentals, geo-politics and psychology. These components mixed with a good measure of uncertainty generate challenges to those at all levels of...

The two-edged sword of optimization: when you use optimization correctly, it can prove quite profitable, but the technique can cut both ways. Here are some rules to help you optimize without curve fitting.(EQUITY TRADING TECHNIQUES)
July 1, 2005... Years ago, I lost a substantial amount of money. I took a simple momentum concept that looked to buy the highest high and sell the lowest low of "n" number of days on stops. I decided "n" would be whatever worked best in the past. Therefore,...

Retracing trends and profit opportunities: retracement analysis is a simple way to study market action. There are no indicators to calculate, plot or read. There are no subjective price patterns to find. There's just you, a ruler and a calculator. Most important, it works.(TRADING TECHNIQUES)
July 1, 2005... Currencies are well known for their tendency to form persistent trends, but this doesn't mean they are always trending or existing trends last forever. Assuming your currency pair of choice is in a trend, you should expect a number of pullbacks...

The rise and fall of the merchandise trade report: the theory was a floating-exchange rate regime would self-correct currency valuations and trade deficits. The reality of three decades of floating rates has been quite the opposite.(TRADING TECHNIQUES)
July 1, 2005... During the mid-to-late 1980s, the merchandise trade report was the most important economic datum of the month. It acquired this status after the 1985 Plaza Accord, wherein the United States agreed to drive down the value of the dollar to...

Option selling with limited risk: selling options can be risky ... if you don't know how to manage your risk. The key is to think risk management first, profit second. Here is how you can manage your portfolio like a professional.(TRADING TECHNIQUES)
July 1, 2005... Consider this hypothetical situation: The futures trader has just read yet another article on how selling options can increase the returns on his portfolio. Curious, and somewhat excited, he picks up the phone and calls his broker: I want to...

There's money in the wind: OJ trading opportunities; Now may be a prime time to trade orange juice. Here's what you need to understand about market fundamentals and technicals to exploit price moves in this volatile market.(orange juice)
July 1, 2005... In fall 2004, three major hurricanes destroyed more than 30% of Florida's orange crop at a time when orange juice futures were at 27-year lows and inventories were at all-time highs. Since then, frozen concentrate orange juice (FCOJ) futures...

Reversal patterns for beginners: reversals offer profitable opportunities because they often occur after a market has become extremely overbought or oversold. Here are several of the most common reversal patterns.(FUTURES 101)
July 1, 2005... In the last two issues, we've covered continuation patterns, defined as triangles and flags that fit within the major trendline, and breakout patterns, defined as a significant departure from a clearly defined trading range and signaling the...

Finding your winning edge.(Online Trading)
July 1, 2005... Most new traders fail, at least in the long-term. The reason is while it's possible to find an edge that will be successful for a short time, it's more difficult to find a long-term successful one. "Don't trade without an edge," says Rickey...

eSignal 7.9.(Software Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... eSignal 7.9 eSignal 3955 Point Eden Way Hayward, Calif. 94545 (510) 266-6000; (800) 815-8256 Europe: 44 (0) 20 7825 8770 www.esignal.com OVERALL RATING: Good/Excellent LEVEL: Beginner to advanced PRICE:...

How to select a CTA: managed futures is perhaps the best way to enhance an overall traditional investment portfolio, but commodity trading advisors are not all alike. Their performance in different market environments and their correlation to traditional investments vary.(MANAGED MONEY)
July 1, 2005... The entire alternative investment universe is based on the simple premise that an investor can enhance returns without adding to volatility by investing in alternatives to traditional stock and bond portfolios. It is the reason the hedge...

Trader's guide to the EU galaxy: the European Union's constitution may be in limbo, but the 42 directives designed to unify the Continent's trading infrastructure remain. Here are the issues that could affect you as Europe hammers its common market into shape.(TRADE TRENDS)
July 1, 2005... Here's something to ponder in the wake of last month's rejection of the European Union constitution by the French and Dutch: the United Kingdom does not have a constitution. That's right--the United Kingdom, the most dynamic E.U. economy,...

TGForex.com.(INTERNET)(online services)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Forex broker TGForex.com is offering a free trade simulator program for currency traders. The simulator uses recent data from eight currency pairs and has four built in, basic-trading algorithms: single moving average, moving average crossover,...

CyberTrader Inc.(SERVICES)(online trading)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... CyberTrader Inc. has released Strategy Center, a suite of technical analysis tools that gives traders the ability to back-test customized trading strategies and simultaneously scan the market for stocks that meet those strategies. Strategy...

HedgeStreet Inc.(SERVICES)(online trading)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... HedgeStreet Inc., the online financial market that allows the buying and selling of financial instruments based on economic events, launched a package of incentives intended to enhance liquidity, accessibility and cost efficiency. HedgeStreet's...

eSignal.(SERVICES)(online securities)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... eSignal, provider of streaming real-time financial market data, news, analytics and decision support tools, announced the availability of QuoTrek 1.2, its wireless quote and market information service for mobile phones and PDAs. It features...

CMC.(SERVICES)(online trading)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... CMC is now offering commission-free futures trading through its new Market Maker 5.0. Features include 24 hour real-time streaming prices, no split fills, transparent prices, deep liquidity, tighter spreads and no exchange fees....

Julian Robertson: A Tiger in the Land of Bulls and Bears.(Book Review)
July 1, 2005... Julian Robertson: A Tiger in the Land of Bulls and Bears By Daniel A. Strachman John Wiley and Sons $29.95, 177 pages Julian Robertson epitomizes the dream of the average neophyte trader. Nearly everyone imagines that huge...

Fischer Black and the Revolutionary Idea of Finance.(Book Review)
July 1, 2005... Fischer Black and the Revolutionary Idea of Finance By Perry Mehrling John Wiley and Sons $29.95, 400 pages If you're a little nostalgic for hours spent in economics and finance courses, then this is the book for you. Fischer...

Contract dates.(Dateline)(Calendar)
July 1, 2005... 1 FND: BM & F Crystal sugar F, Conillon coffee F, Alcohol F, Nybot Jun Ethanol F, Orange juice F, Sugar #11 F, LND: Nybot Jun Ethanol F, Sugar #11 F, LTD: BM & F Alcohol OF, CME Jun CPI F, Pork bellies, frozen OF, Butter OF, Euronext-Liffe Aug...

Events coming up.(Calendar)
July 1, 2005... Call the numbers listed for more information. For other seminars. see the classifieds on pages 84-89. International Traders Expo. JULY 13-16. Hyatt Regency Hotel, Chicago. www.tradersexpo.com. (800) 970-4355. Real Asset Investing...

QIM: quantifying profits.(Quantitative Investment Management)
July 1, 2005... After much contemplation, Jaffray Woodriff settled on quantitative behavioral finance to describe his trading methodology. It is a mouthful, as is behavioral finance academics, artificial intelligence and evolutionary programming--all apt...