Futures (Cedar Falls, IA) articles from June 2003

Futures (Cedar Falls, IA) archives from June 2003

Good vibrations. (Editor's Note).
June 1, 2003... No sooner was this column written last month and shipped to the printer did the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) and Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) announce a marriage of sort. Breaking from its handshake agreement with the Board of Trade...

Sound off!
June 1, 2003... CHANGE IS GOOD Yes, I would prefer change come from the exchanges themselves and not outside interests, especially the government [see "Building Blocks," May 2003]. But one must not assume that because volume is up, change isn't needed....

Common clearing hits Chicago. (What's Next?).
June 1, 2003... Since the April 16 announcement of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME)/Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) Common Clearing Link, the two exchanges have been busy filling in the details and preparing their clearing member firms for the transition....

Euronext tries again. (Battle of the Bund).
June 1, 2003... Euronext.Liffe has longed for a midrange pan-European government debt benchmark product to complement its Euribor futures and options for years, but German rival Eurex's bund contract has retained the spot -- even though Europe's govvies are...

Globex off-line in early May. (Who Kicked the Plug?).
June 1, 2003... A network computer problem brought down the Chicago Mercantile Exchange's (CME) Globex electronic trading platform May 1 late in the morning and the platform remained off-line the rest of the trading day. The outage was caused by problems...

Innocence gained...or delayed? (International News: Americas).
June 1, 2003... In April a federal judge dismissed the complaint filed in January against forex futures commission merchant Gain Capital charging violations of the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA). The suit, filed by Spencer Rawlins, named money management...

Cross-continent rivalry. (International News: Europe).
June 1, 2003... Germany's Eurex and London's Euronext.Liffe have elevated their continental slugfest to a level reminiscent of the glory days of the cross-town battles between the CBOT and CME. Euronext.Liffe started the brawl rolling with a full-frontal...

Steely resistance. (International News: Europe).
June 1, 2003... The London Metal Exchange (LME) says it will forge ahead with its planned steel futures contract, despite getting negative responses to its consultation document seeking industry feedback. No less than the International Iron and Steel...

Sir Brian takes a bow. (International News: Europe).
June 1, 2003... Euronext.Liffe's colorful chairman, Sir Brian Williamson, will step down on July 1 -- five years after being called in to rescue the London International Financial Futures and Options Exchange (Liffe) from what appeared to be its imminent...

Markets catch SARS. (International News: Pacific Rim).
June 1, 2003... Markets in China closed May 1-12 to help stem the spread of SARS. It was a cautious move, but not without concern that overseas investors would be reluctant to put money into mainland shares for fear they might not be able to redeem their...

McDonnell returns 'home'. (Trading Places).
June 1, 2003... A veteran of small trading firms. Mary M. McDonnell says her new job as president and CEO of Chicago-based proprietary trading house Geneva Trading is a better fit than the management positions she has held at exchanges in recent years. "I...

A broader meaning of alternative. (Managed Money Review).
June 1, 2003... The phrase "alternative investments' usually refers to managed futures I and the myriad of hedge fund strategies. But alternative investments include everything outside the traditional stock and bond portfolio. A group of managers recognizing...

Dollar still weak. (Hot Commodities).
June 1, 2003... The dollar index resumed its downward trend in May, reaching $0.9500 in the spot market. McElhannon Group analyst Phil Worley says the weakness is supported by an aggressive weak dollar policy by the Bush administration that, if carried Out...

Cattle on the move. (Hot Commodities).
June 1, 2003... Peter DeSario, senior analyst for Elliott Wave International, says cattle is headed toward all-time highs. The only question is whether it can do it from current levels or whether more consolidation is neede. "Short-term, we [need] a new...

What will heating oil follow? (Hot Commodities).
June 1, 2003... A softening crude oil marker has been pulling down the price of hearing oil and will continue to do so without significant curs in production by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec), say industry analysts. The problem,...

Are dollar, stocks vexed by the Vix? (Market Strategy).
June 1, 2003... As a measure of collective psychology, stock prices trend with investor sentiment and key reversal points occur at peaks of emotional intensity. This has made volatility, as measured by the Vix, a favorite contrarian indicator for identifying...

Can soybeans rescue bullish hopes? (Cover Story: Markets).
June 1, 2003... Wheat and corn rallies fizzled, but soybeans could put the pieces of a bullish puzzle together due to strong exports, tightening stocks and no increase in acreage -- and that's not even mentioning the usual catalyst, weather. The bullish...

Fanning profits in forex. (Forex Trader).
June 1, 2003... One of the most important skills to master for successful forex trading is the integration of the big-picture with day-trading. Currency rates reflect long-term forces, but to control risk, traders must have appropriate entrance and exit...

Everything you know is (still) wrong. (Equity: Trading Techniques).
June 1, 2003... You don't need a $5,000 trading system to make a killing in stock index futures, just a 50[cnts] ruler and the fortitude to use it. "There comes a time in the affairs of man when he must take the bull by the tail and face the situation" ...

Fibonacci in the stock market: Fibonacci analysis can enhance your Elliott wave performance. Here's an example of how to apply Fibonacci ratios to forecasting. (Trading: Techniques).
June 1, 2003... A completed Elliott wave usually displays Fibonacci price and time relationships among its components. I have long maintained that Wave V in the stock market, which began at the lows of 1974 or 1982, would end when it reached a Fibonacci...

Visual tools for trading: T-formations and angle changes are often helpful in predicting time and price objectives for market swings well ahead of the completion of such swings. (Trading: Techniques).
June 1, 2003... T -formations, based on theories relating to the cyclical analyses of price movement, may be employed to project time frames -- not price levels -- at which market reversals are likely to take place. "Fitting the market to a T" (below)...

When prices, emotions collide. (Trading: Techniques).
June 1, 2003... If you can assess the level or intensity of 'small trader' sentiment, you can use that knowledge in conjunction with timing methods to come up with valuable trading signals as small traders ride the emotional swings. It is a common belief...

Bringing volatility to the day-trader's level. (Trading: Techniques).
June 1, 2003... Volatility is a key input in trading decisions, but it is usually based on long-term data. Short-term traders need something much more timely. Here is how Market Profile can help you find current volatility to identify trading opportunities....

Testing your options -- the final chapter. (Technology & Trading).
June 1, 2003... Now that we've outlined many of the issues involved in testing option strategies, it's time to see how the results of backtesting a strategy on options differs from the results based on trading the underlying. Surprisingly, a trading system...

Insightful I-Miner 2.0. (Software Review).
June 1, 2003... Insightful Corp. 1700 Westlake Ave. N., Suite 500 Seattle, Wash. 98109 www.insightful.com LEVEL: I-Miner is a platform and its use depends upon how it is loaded. In its basic form (reviewed here) operation is simple. No...

Another look at volume and open interest. (Futures 101).
June 1, 2003... Dismissed by some traders as out-dated, volume and open interest can tell a lot more than you think and today are again being looked at as valuable tools in validating signals and market trends. Most traders have a basic idea of what volume...

The road to mini-success. (Online Trading).
June 1, 2003... Electronically traded mini futures contracts, such as the E-mini S&P 500, have become one of the industry's success stories. Combined with the fast-growing popularity of online regulated forex trading in general, is that an indication that the...

Diversification the old fashioned way. (Managed: Money).
June 1, 2003... If there is one thing investment managers agree on, regardless of vehicle, it is the value of diversification, which is experiencing new importance in an era of negative to flat equity returns. But the definition of diversification can vary...

Countdown to overdrive. (Trade: Trends).
June 1, 2003... The introduction of the euro was little more than a symbolic act compared to the regulatory changes under way in Europe today. Here's a look at the regulatory transformation destined to re-shape the European Union between now and 2006, and how...

The Volatility Course. (Book Reviews).
June 1, 2003... By George Fontanills and Tom Gentile John Wiley & Sons New York (2003) 326 pages, $49.95 The Volatility Course covers from A to Z how traders can incorporate volatility into trading decisions and use volatility to develop and...

The Trading Athlete. (Book Reviews).
June 1, 2003... By Shane Murphy and Doug Hirschhom John Wiley & Sons Inc. New York (2001) 288 pages, $29.95 Trading psychology is often the missing link for many traders. Getting control of your emotions and mentally preparing yourself for...

Software. (New for Traders).
June 1, 2003... Specializing in data acquisition and manipulation, software company DataSharks introduced three software programs -- two data downloaders and one data converter. The DataSharks Downloader obtains current and historical data on over 35,000...

Internet. (New for Traders).
June 1, 2003... PreferredTrade Inc. launched a new suite of a multiwindow-based online trading product through its just released PreferredTrader 6.0 trading platform. In addition to direct access online execution for stock and option orders, the software...

FutureSource products. (Services).
June 1, 2003... FutureSource is now offering a new high-speed data feed, which will power FutureSource products. The feed will be powered by the new "Galaxy Ticker," which currently is configured for 5 12k, designed to accommodate the big data volumes from...

BestDayTrader. (Service).
June 1, 2003... BestDayTrader.com has opened the doors to its real-time trading chat room for one-hour, real-time question and answer sessions on current market trends and conditions every other Thursday from 4 p.m.-5 p.m. ET. Technical analysis of any equity...

Virtual Private Network. (Service).
June 1, 2003... The International Securities Exchange (ISE) has introduced a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connectivity solution that allows broker/dealers to use ISE trader workstations to route orders to ISE's market over the internet. The direct access VPN...

Dateline.
June 1, 2003... JUNE 3 Crop summary 5 Germany Employment, Unemployment 6 COT report, Employment, Unemployment 9 Holiday: France U.K. Production index, PPI 10 Crop summary. U.K. Merchandise trade 11 ...

Eduardo Bastida: common sense and quants. (Trader Profile).
June 1, 2003... As head of globaL equity derivatives trading for Commerzbank Securities in London, Eduardo Bastida has met his share of math and physics wonks. "These guys can be really brilliant," he says. "If you get into a technical discussion with them,...

E-Mini Futures provide unprecedented opportunities: privileges reserved for floor traders now available to ordinary traders. (Advertorial).
June 15, 2003... DAY-TRADING THE E-MINI FUTURES - THE E-MINI ADVANTAGE In just a few years, the e-mini Futures have experienced explosive growth. According to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), the opening volume of the e-mini S&P 500 in September 1997...

Efutures.com: a cargill investor services joint venture. (Advertorial).
June 15, 2003... Efutures offers outstanding value by combining multiple trade platforms, quality execution, competitive commission rates and 24-hour customer support. TRADING SOLUTIONS FOR THE PROFESSIONAL As the industry and technology continue to...

Discover the eSignal 7 series--everything you need, kitchen sink included! (well, almost). (Advertorial).
June 15, 2003... As an active trader, you depend on real-time, reliable and accurate market data coupled with solid decision support tools, such as news, customizable indicators, back testing and innovative ways to rest your trade before you trade. WHAT...

Genesis' Trade Navigator: setting a new standard in trading platforms. (Advertorial).
June 15, 2003... In our ever-changing global economy and world marketplace, it has become paramount to the success of today's investor to stay on top of the markets and the performance of their trading system. Combining ease of use with powerful features has...

Optimizing the end user workspace. (Advertorial).
June 15, 2003... Real estate is everything. Space, from the real estate property market, to paying to get your message out to the masses in advertising is potentially the highest commodity in trading today's markets. Foreign exchange is no different....

Alphabetical company listings.
June 15, 2003... Listed here are companies that have computerized trading-related products and services featured in the listings beginning on page 52. Here you will find each company's address, phone and fax numbers, as well as the categories in which it offers...

OptionVue Systems: managing volatility properly to better identify profit and loss. (Advertorial).
June 15, 2003... As volatility is a primary benchmark used by the markets to set option pricing, failure to properly account for it prior to placing any trade can result in wholly unrealistic profit expectations or even losses. But managing volatility...

Global Futures Exchange & Trading Company, Inc.: learn why our philosophy is: a lot more than just low commissions! (Advertorial).
June 15, 2003... As one of the Largest introducing brokerage firms for futures and options, Global Futures Exchange & Trading Company, Inc. offers traders extremely competitive commission rates, low day trading margins, and one-on-one training for our online...

Interactive Brokers: the professional's gateway to the world's markets. (Advertorial).
June 15, 2003... Interactive Brokers Groups founding member has completed its 25th year as a broker dealer. The Group recently ranked 25th in Institutional Investor's list of the 100 largest securities firms ranked by total consolidated capital. Total...

Lime Brokerage: brokerage services for automated and sophisticated traders. (Avertorial).
June 15, 2003... At Lime Brokerage, automated trading is our specialty. We serve professional traders, hedge funds and institutions requiring automated executions on the NYSE, AMEX and NASDAQ, including Super Montage and all major ECNs. A FOCUS ON THE...

PFG's BEST Direct empowers electronic traders: dependable, cutting-edge and dynamic. (Advertorial).
June 15, 2003... Automated, fast-paced markets require online systems that stay tip to speed, but don't race past customers needs. At PFG, the customers' priorities remain the company's priority. PFG's BEST Direct online trading system was designed by...

Build online trading skills with Lind Simulated Trading. (Advertorial).
June 15, 2003... Taking the plunge into futures trading can be like jumping into the deep end of a swimming pool. With the right preparation, it can be exhilarating. Without? Scary. Simulated trading can help prepare you for taking the futures trading...

Product listings.
June 15, 2003... We've listed the names of specific products and services offered by the companies in this year's Guide. These are actual product names, not generic descriptive terms, so if you know the product you're looking for, you can check here for the...

The future of trading is Open E Cry. (Advertorial).
June 15, 2003... One of the first domestic futures exchanges was developed in the late 18th century. as U.S. debt securities traded on the corner of Broad Street and Wall Street. As the Open Outcry system grew, so too did the complexity of financial...

Terra Nova Futures: offering customizable front-end solutions for futures. (Advertorial).
June 15, 2003... Backed by the expertise and stability of Terra Nova Trading, L.L.C., Terra Nova Futures provides individuals with the power of RealTick[R], the fully customizable trading platform that offers the unparalleled speed of direct access execution...

XPRESSTRADE: Online futures and forex trading. Anytime. Anywhere. (Advertorial).
June 15, 2003... Introducing the aLt-new, totally redesigned and enhanced XPRESSTRADE. Check it out today -- we're online at www.xpresstrade.com. We think you'll find 10 great reasons to join forces with the leader in online futures and forex trading! 1....

Products & Services. (A-D).
June 15, 2003... This directory lists companies that offer products or services of interest to traders, investors or firms using a computer to trade or for trading-related business. Listed in alphabetical order by company, each listing includes the product...

Products & Services. (E-M).
June 15, 2003... E EAGLE MARKET MAKERS INC. info@eaglemarketmakers.com www.eaglemarketmakers.com Clearing member firm, CBOT. Pit and screen trading. (RTD, BACK, MA, EDU, NET) EFUTURES.COM trade@efutures.com www.efutures.com ...

Product & Services. (N-Z).
June 15, 2003... N NATIONAL TRADING GROUP INC. ned@winningedgesystem.com www.winningedgesystem.com Trading Personality Profile Test Designed to help the client identify a unique Trading Personality Profile. Intended to provide insight...

Practical ideas for the individual investor: managed systems - the new conventional wisdom. (Advertorial).
June 15, 2003... Here's why its important to change your entire investment thought process over the next three to five YEARS along with two good reasons to invest in Managed Futures Systems through ZAP Futures. The traditional pillars of investment wisdom are...