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Trend Trading Stock Index or Currency Futures?


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Trend Trading Stock Index or Currency Futures?

  #1 (permalink)
Jeff65
Gurnee, IL
 
Posts: 46 since Apr 2010
Thanks Given: 17
Thanks Received: 97

This is a little study I did back in January of 2010 when I was interested in demonstrating which popular futures markets exhibit more trending behavior. Maybe a few readers on this forum will find it interesting.

Anyway, I devised a simple trend following strategy that consisted of a single 50-period simple moving average on a daily chart. The system only takes long signals. It enters a new trade when price crosses above the moving average and closes that position when a daily bar closes below the MA. I'm not attempting to create a trading system per say, but creating indicator that measures a market's trending characteristics.

The rules are below:

Buy close of bar when Close > SMA(50)
Sell close of bar when Close < SMA(50)


Because this is a trend following system, it should perform better on markets that exhibit trending behavior. I tested this system on some popular stock index futures markets and currency futures markets. The chart below is organized from left to right with the best producing market. Notice which markets are grouped to the left and which markets are grouped to the right.



2000 - 2009
Daily Bars – No Commissions – No Slippage

I think this provides some evidence that the stock index markets do not have nearly the trending characteristics of the currency futures markets. More specifically, the Euro really shines as a trending market. I know from personal experience that I generate consistently better results when I trade my trend following strategies on the Euro currency futures as apposed to S&P Emini. In fact, I no longer trade S&P Emini with my trend following setups.

If you have a trend following system and trade the stock index markets maybe you will want to take a look at the currency futures.

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  #2 (permalink)
 MXASJ 
Asia
 
Experience: Beginner
Platform: NinjaTrader, TOS
Posts: 796 since Jun 2009
Thanks Given: 109
Thanks Received: 800

Consider looking at the same basket, using the same rules, but in a different time frame. Weekly and monthly, for example.

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  #3 (permalink)
Zchartist
Chicago, IL. USA
 
Posts: 19 since Nov 2010
Thanks Given: 2
Thanks Received: 5


I gave up on the ES too. I like using limit orders to get in & out of the market but with the ES, the market would hit my limit price a bunch of times, not fill me, and then race to my stop loss order. Sounds Familiar ? : )

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  #4 (permalink)
Jeff65
Gurnee, IL
 
Posts: 46 since Apr 2010
Thanks Given: 17
Thanks Received: 97


MXASJ View Post
Consider looking at the same basket, using the same rules, but in a different time frame. Weekly and monthly, for example.

An interesting idea. If I get some time this weekend I'll give it a shot.

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  #5 (permalink)
Jeff65
Gurnee, IL
 
Posts: 46 since Apr 2010
Thanks Given: 17
Thanks Received: 97


Zchartist View Post
I gave up on the ES too. I like using limit orders to get in & out of the market but with the ES, the market would hit my limit price a bunch of times, not fill me, and then race to my stop loss order. Sounds Familiar ? : )

It does. I often find my stop getting hit in ES a lot. I should increase my stop size but that would conflict with my trading plan. So, I find myself trading EC.

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  #6 (permalink)
 sharmas 
Auckland
 
Experience: Advanced
Platform: Ninja Trader
Broker: Zen-Fire
Trading: CL and ES
Posts: 778 since Apr 2010
Thanks Given: 3,822
Thanks Received: 750


Jeff65 View Post
It does. I often find my stop getting hit in ES a lot. I should increase my stop size but that would conflict with my trading plan. So, I find myself trading EC.

Jeff

What stops and profits targets do you use in ES


Sharmas

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  #7 (permalink)
Jeff65
Gurnee, IL
 
Posts: 46 since Apr 2010
Thanks Given: 17
Thanks Received: 97


sharmas View Post
Jeff

What stops and profits targets do you use in ES


Sharmas

I'm very risk adverse so my stopes are usually no more than $125 or $150 per contract. This is not enough for ES but appears to be OK for EC. My profit target is based upon prior support or resistance and can be 1, 2, or 3 times risk.

I do have two swing setups on ES that require a $250 or $300 stop per contract. These work fine.

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  #8 (permalink)
 
tickvix's Avatar
 tickvix 
USA
 
Experience: Intermediate
Platform: Infinity
Broker: Infinity
Trading: ES, Euro
Posts: 232 since Feb 2010
Thanks Given: 137
Thanks Received: 157

Jeff

When able would you please tell more about your swing set up in EC. I would love to know a bit more. How do u enter? Where? at what time? I have been looking at Daily chart and having hard time to see how to enter swing trade with only 6 ticks stop.
I also trade EC and do use the same stops as you do but most of my trades are scalping trades. Most of the time I can get 8 to 16 ticks on my trades. In some cases 24.
As I said would love to learn more from you if you would like to share.

Thank you

TickVix/Gregory

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  #9 (permalink)
Jeff65
Gurnee, IL
 
Posts: 46 since Apr 2010
Thanks Given: 17
Thanks Received: 97


tickvix View Post
Jeff

When able would you please tell more about your swing set up in EC. I would love to know a bit more. How do u enter? Where? at what time? I have been looking at Daily chart and having hard time to see how to enter swing trade with only 6 ticks stop.
I also trade EC and do use the same stops as you do but most of my trades are scalping trades. Most of the time I can get 8 to 16 ticks on my trades. In some cases 24.
As I said would love to learn more from you if you would like to share.

Thank you

TickVix/Gregory

Well, I don't have a swing setup for EC. I'm usually in for only a few minutes. At most a couple of hours. However I'm working on holding longer and finding key entry points that might lead to holding for several days. Not there yet.

My two "swing" setups on ES can last several hours. I call this swing, but I know many others would not. Sorry if I'm sloppy with my terms.

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  #10 (permalink)
 turbo516 
New York, NY
 
Experience: Intermediate
Platform: Ninjatrader
Broker: Mirus Futures/Zen-Fire
Posts: 45 since Jul 2010
Thanks Given: 19
Thanks Received: 27



Jeff65 View Post
This is a little study I did back in January of 2010 when I was interested in demonstrating which popular futures markets exhibit more trending behavior. Maybe a few readers on this forum will find it interesting.

Anyway, I devised a simple trend following strategy that consisted of a single 50-period simple moving average on a daily chart. The system only takes long signals. It enters a new trade when price crosses above the moving average and closes that position when a daily bar closes below the MA. I'm not attempting to create a trading system per say, but creating indicator that measures a market's trending characteristics.

The rules are below:

Buy close of bar when Close > SMA(50)
Sell close of bar when Close < SMA(50)


Because this is a trend following system, it should perform better on markets that exhibit trending behavior. I tested this system on some popular stock index futures markets and currency futures markets. The chart below is organized from left to right with the best producing market. Notice which markets are grouped to the left and which markets are grouped to the right.



2000 - 2009
Daily Bars – No Commissions – No Slippage

I think this provides some evidence that the stock index markets do not have nearly the trending characteristics of the currency futures markets. More specifically, the Euro really shines as a trending market. I know from personal experience that I generate consistently better results when I trade my trend following strategies on the Euro currency futures as apposed to S&P Emini. In fact, I no longer trade S&P Emini with my trend following setups.

If you have a trend following system and trade the stock index markets maybe you will want to take a look at the currency futures.

Hi Jeff,

Very interesting study! I been debating myself lately which instrument is best for momentum/trend trading and your study is confirming what I'm seeing.

If its not too much of a hassle, I'm curious to know how your results would change if you use intraday timeframe (like 1hr) instead of daily bars. I only like to trade during RTH and don't want to hold positions overnight. Also, can you include /6B (GBP futures) since its a popular instrument?

Thanks!

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Last Updated on December 3, 2010


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