It is what it is, good for some things, bad for others. I write a fair bit of MT4 code, and other trading systems, and yes, it's pretty naff in some areas, good in others though. Simon's right in the fact that pumping lots of instruments in to it causes problems, so MT4 for equities isn't really a place to go. Good for FX, back-testing, scripted trading but for most end users, quite hard to understand. More 'holy grail' advice for MT4... but obviously most of that isn't worth the trouble, not to mention the dodgy auto dealers too, however most companies can steer clear of that. Possibly some good areas to duplicate/copy in to a system such as the CS system or other more user friendly platforms.
Best Thread Capital Spreads
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neil324
Remember opinions are like ass holess, every ones got one.
What do the punters like?
What do the punters like?
Which is why we have forums I guess...
capitalspreads
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concerning trade sizes
Capital Spreads has no intention of increasing our minimum trade sizes. Yes... many small clients are difficult to justify on a cost basis but we take the view that "you have to be in it to win it".. small punters can grow into big ones. The company in question here is far bigger than Capital Spreads and can make these commercial decisions in the knowledge that the vast majority of clients will NOT actually close their accounts and move but will go along with the change in minimum trade size.
It is rather like the 'spreads from' argument . Some companies advertise spreads in things like the EUR/USD 'from' 0.8 pips but then you see that the 'average spread' is 1.38... which basically says that almost half the time it is wider than 1.38 (2, 3 ?)
or AUS/USD advertised at 0.8 pips .... but with an 'average spread' last week of 3.08 pips ! (sometimes it must be nearly 6!)
capital spreads sticks with 1 pip all day on both
all i can say is that you do have choices... Capital Spreads is smaller but possibly a bit fairer
Simon
Capital Spreads has no intention of increasing our minimum trade sizes. Yes... many small clients are difficult to justify on a cost basis but we take the view that "you have to be in it to win it".. small punters can grow into big ones. The company in question here is far bigger than Capital Spreads and can make these commercial decisions in the knowledge that the vast majority of clients will NOT actually close their accounts and move but will go along with the change in minimum trade size.
It is rather like the 'spreads from' argument . Some companies advertise spreads in things like the EUR/USD 'from' 0.8 pips but then you see that the 'average spread' is 1.38... which basically says that almost half the time it is wider than 1.38 (2, 3 ?)
or AUS/USD advertised at 0.8 pips .... but with an 'average spread' last week of 3.08 pips ! (sometimes it must be nearly 6!)
capital spreads sticks with 1 pip all day on both
all i can say is that you do have choices... Capital Spreads is smaller but possibly a bit fairer
Simon
capitalspreads
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i might also point out that we are still considered by the betting comparison web site to be the best value overall.
Best of the Best Spread Betting Company Summary - Betting Bible
and this is from someone who has no particular axe to grind (i.e advertising revenue/tables at awards ceremony to sell etc)
Best of the Best Spread Betting Company Summary - Betting Bible
and this is from someone who has no particular axe to grind (i.e advertising revenue/tables at awards ceremony to sell etc)
capitalspreads
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hacks
that is a very good question. We have been looking at options ever since we launched (particularly as I personally am an options trader from way back when)
Our problem is that Capital Spreads does not give waived margin or credit AND insist on stops on all positions (AT A SPECIFIC PRICE). As any experienced options trader will tell you many of the options prices put out are "extrapolations" from "At The Money" volatility levels and the 'wings' are often a matter of interpretation of "out of the money" volatility as there are often no specific exchange prices.
If we stopped a client out in an option that was say 500 points out of the money in the Dow entirely due to our 'created' price matrix.. when no actual trades had taken place on that particular strike price it would be very hard for Capital Spreads to defend its action.
We could probably cover it in our terms but... I can imagine it coming back to bite us on the bum. Especially as options traders are generally trading in much larger size than normal.
We will eventually work out a way of doing it but probably not for the next few Quarters
Simon
that is a very good question. We have been looking at options ever since we launched (particularly as I personally am an options trader from way back when)
Our problem is that Capital Spreads does not give waived margin or credit AND insist on stops on all positions (AT A SPECIFIC PRICE). As any experienced options trader will tell you many of the options prices put out are "extrapolations" from "At The Money" volatility levels and the 'wings' are often a matter of interpretation of "out of the money" volatility as there are often no specific exchange prices.
If we stopped a client out in an option that was say 500 points out of the money in the Dow entirely due to our 'created' price matrix.. when no actual trades had taken place on that particular strike price it would be very hard for Capital Spreads to defend its action.
We could probably cover it in our terms but... I can imagine it coming back to bite us on the bum. Especially as options traders are generally trading in much larger size than normal.
We will eventually work out a way of doing it but probably not for the next few Quarters
Simon
pipster3000
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Hi Simon,
I filled out an account application to your division LCGMT.com , after hearing nothing after a week I have now sent 2 emails over a 2 week period (to [email protected] address) and still have heard nothing. The last email was last wednesday. I'm quite suprised at the lack of service and don't think I would open an account now.
Do you have any explanation? Is this not a division of your company?
I filled out an account application to your division LCGMT.com , after hearing nothing after a week I have now sent 2 emails over a 2 week period (to [email protected] address) and still have heard nothing. The last email was last wednesday. I'm quite suprised at the lack of service and don't think I would open an account now.
Do you have any explanation? Is this not a division of your company?
capitalspreads
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pipster
I am assuming here that you are a client in Canada. The account opening team have sent you two emails on teh 21st Dec and the 3rd Jan asking for more info. Can you check that the emails from us have not gone into your spam bin?
The opening team will ring this afternoon.
If you are not the Canadian client please indicate here..thanks
simon
I am assuming here that you are a client in Canada. The account opening team have sent you two emails on teh 21st Dec and the 3rd Jan asking for more info. Can you check that the emails from us have not gone into your spam bin?
The opening team will ring this afternoon.
If you are not the Canadian client please indicate here..thanks
simon
Simon, a small and easy to implement feature I would like to have on CS platform is, the last stop loss used in points (Stop points away) to be remembered by the order ticket window. The same as you have for the stake size. That would come in handy and would in fact at the same time take away the risk of forgetting entering it.
Otherwise, best of wishes for a good 2013.
Otherwise, best of wishes for a good 2013.
I agree.
Vasco da Banana
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Me too, and the same goes for the WLs.
capitalspreads
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gle
we are looking at this kind of client control but.. it is some way off i am afraid.
Simon
we are looking at this kind of client control but.. it is some way off i am afraid.
Simon
Thanks Simon. Hopefully it will come around sooner than later. Not so important as user predefine stop loss in points tough. You had me nagging for it for years.
pipster3000
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It did go to my spam. My bad! I received 3 replies..
capitalspreads
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pipster
thanks for posting...
Simon
thanks for posting...
Simon
capitalspreads
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wow a while ago... May 2010
our systems certainly did not crash.. but you can imagine we were very busy.
the real problem was that the indices futures trades were confirmed. So these trades/prices were deemed to have happened in the real world and so we executed such stops/orders/trades with our clients down to the levels declared exercisable by the exchanges.
obviously hindsight showed it to be a move triggered by a very large fund selling S&P futures as a hedge against a real position that then caused a waterfall event of other sellers (so the trigger was actually real biz). So the trades/prices were 'real'. Oddly enough the market did actually fall to the same levels a couple of weeks later
This comment is written with me trying to remember the events of that day so forgive me if i have made some error in history.. but i can assure you that Capital Spreads was up and functioning for clients throughout the whole event. we took and executed some 2000 trades in the period from 19.41 to 19.48.
730 were orders being triggered by the fall but 1300 were trades actually initiated by clients clicking to trade .
Simon
our systems certainly did not crash.. but you can imagine we were very busy.
the real problem was that the indices futures trades were confirmed. So these trades/prices were deemed to have happened in the real world and so we executed such stops/orders/trades with our clients down to the levels declared exercisable by the exchanges.
obviously hindsight showed it to be a move triggered by a very large fund selling S&P futures as a hedge against a real position that then caused a waterfall event of other sellers (so the trigger was actually real biz). So the trades/prices were 'real'. Oddly enough the market did actually fall to the same levels a couple of weeks later
This comment is written with me trying to remember the events of that day so forgive me if i have made some error in history.. but i can assure you that Capital Spreads was up and functioning for clients throughout the whole event. we took and executed some 2000 trades in the period from 19.41 to 19.48.
730 were orders being triggered by the fall but 1300 were trades actually initiated by clients clicking to trade .
Simon
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Vasco da Banana
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Pure madness that evening. Someone I know made more in a half an hour than he had in years, but almost everyone else lost (including me).
capitalspreads
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vasco
days like that are rare and it is often a matter of pure luck if you happen to be the right way round.
For those of you old enough to remember the oct 1987 crash... that is still the best day that I ever experienced as a trader. I was running the Bond desk for a Belgian Bank in those days and we made over £5m in one day .. the US Long bond had a trading range of 12 big figures (if i remember correctly) .. but i could just as easily have been the other way around.
Simon
days like that are rare and it is often a matter of pure luck if you happen to be the right way round.
For those of you old enough to remember the oct 1987 crash... that is still the best day that I ever experienced as a trader. I was running the Bond desk for a Belgian Bank in those days and we made over £5m in one day .. the US Long bond had a trading range of 12 big figures (if i remember correctly) .. but i could just as easily have been the other way around.
Simon
