Calcluating Treasury Spread Ratio

[tech_trader]

I am working on a mechanical system that trades Treasury spreads. After doing my research, I found that the proper way to calculate a treasury spread ratio is calculated using interest rate sensitivities of the legs of the spread. Conventionally, interest rate sensitivity is measured by the DV01, the dollar value of a 1 basis point change in the general level of treasury market yields).

Since a futures contract is not a coupon bearing security, it does not directly possess either a yield to maturity or a DV01. A tolerably good approximation, the futures contract's implied DV01 is derived from the underlying deliverable security that is cheapest to deliver into the contract.

Since I do not have a way within TradeStation to access the implied DV01, what is the best way to calculate the spread ratio?

 

[Wombat]

........ Treasury spreads. After doing my research, I found that the proper way to calculate a treasury spread ratio is calculated using interest rate sensitivities of the legs of the spread.

Shouldn't be a problem; just ask your brokers. Trading the 5yr T-Notes against 10-yr T-Notes, the ratios of 3:2 and 2:1 are recognised spreads by the exchange. But I don't think there are many on-line trading platforms which can recognise ratio spreads. Who do you trade with?

Wombat