The Evaluation and Optimization of Trading Strategies

Learn both the theory and practice of pairs trading, why it is consistently profitable, and how you can apply the strategies in your own trading with this valuable guide. Author Douglas Ehrman covers pairs trading involving stocks, options on stocks, and futures contracts, and explains how this type of trading allows you to profit from the changing price relationship of securities. In addition to a comprehensive discussion of the theories involved, he also includes practical examples that will to help you put what you've learned into practice. Douglas S. Ehrman is a hedge fund manager and a leading authority on pairs trading. He is one of the founders and the Chief Executive Officer of AlphAmerica Asset Management LLC in Chicago. He also served as the chief executive officer of AlphAmerica Financial, Inc., the company that operated PairsTrading.com prior to its merger with PairTrader.com.

"Floyd has answered for many in this book a way to both understand and use the Commitment of Traders reports. In my thirty-five years as a registered broker and author of my own book, I find that at times someone takes a complex subject and makes it easier to understand. Floyd has done this with his book. Not only does he make understanding the COT easy, but he ties it to some technical trading ideas that readers can try out, using historical data on their own. Truly another good technical book for those looking to understand this often overlooked subject." – Ira Epstein, PresidentIra Epstein & Company Futures «For many years, I've had requests from customers seeking information on the Commitment of Traders report but had few resources to which I could refer them. This superb treatment of the subject by Floyd Upperman, full of detailed information and innovative ideas on how to use them [COT] effectively in trading, is the definitive treatment of the subject in my book. I highly recommend it.» – Edward D. Dobson, PresidentTraders Press, Inc. «The Commitment of Traders (COT) can be a very powerful trading tool to help anticipate market direction. But all too often it is misunderstood and/or misinterpreted . . . Floyd's unique analytical interpretations, combined with his trading tools and indicators, will open a door to greater profitability for all traders.» – Walter Bressert, President Walter Bressert, Inc. «If you are interested in capturing major market moves, this is a must-read book.» – Larry Williams, Commodity TraderIreallytrade.com By understanding commercial activity and monitoring its behavior, a trader can potentially forecast significant changes in price direction. Author Floyd Upperman shows you how to use the Commitment of Traders (COT) reports to accomplish this goal. He skillfully explains how to break down the COT data into producers, consumers, and funds so you understand the positions and activities of these key market participants. In addition, he demonstrates how to monitor the COT activity so you can detect position imbalances that could be harbingers of major trend changes and illustrates his techniques for combining traditional technical analysis of price with the COT data.

This book provides a common framework for mobility management that considers the theoretical and practical aspects of systems optimization for mobile networks. In this book, the authors show how an optimized system of mobility management can improve the quality of service in existing forms of mobile communication. Furthermore, they provide a theoretical approach to mobility management, as well as developing the model for systems optimization, including practical case studies using network layer and mobility layer protocols in different deployment scenarios. The authors also address the different ways in which the specific mobility protocol can be developed, taking into account numerous factors including security, configuration, authentication, quality of service, and movement patterns of the mobiles. Key Features: Defines and discusses a common set of optimization methodologies and their application to all mobility protocols for both IPv4 and IPv6 networks Applies these technologies in the context of various layers: MAC layer, network layer, transport layer and application layer covering 802.11, LTE, WiMax, CDMA networks and protocols such as SIP, MIP, HIP, VoIP, and many more Provides a thorough analysis of the required steps during a mobility event such as discovery, network selection, configuration, authentication, security association, encryption, binding update, and media direction Includes models and tables illustrating the analysis of mobility management as well as architecture of sample wireless and mobility test beds built by the authors, involving inter-domain and intra-domain mobility scenarios This book is an excellent resource forprofessionals and systems architects in charge of designing wireless networks for commercial (3G/4G), LTE, IMS, military and Ad Hoc environment. It will be useful deployment guide for the architects wireless service providers. Graduate students, researchers in industry and academia, and systems engineers will also find this book of interest.

A clear and practical guide to using binary options to speculate, hedge, and trade Trading Binary Options is a strategic primer on effectively navigating this fast-growing segment. With clear explanations and a practical perspective, this authoritative guide shows you how binaries work, the strategies that bring out their strengths, how to integrate them into your current strategies, and much more. This updated second edition includes new coverage of Cantor-Fitzgerald binaries, New York Stock Exchange binaries, and how to use binaries to hedge trading, along with expert insight on the markets in which binaries are available. Independent traders and investors will find useful guidance on speculating on price movements or hedging their stock portfolios using these simple, less complex options with potentially substantial impact. Binary options provide either a fixed payout or nothing at all. While it sounds simple enough, using them effectively requires a more nuanced understanding of how, where, and why they work. This book provides the critical knowledge you need to utilize binary options to optimal effect. Learn hedging and trading strategies specific to binaries Choose the markets with best liquidity and lowest expenses Find the right broker for your particular binary options strategy Utilize binaries in conjunction with other strategies Popular in the over-the-counter market, binary options are frequently used to hedge or speculate on commodities, currencies, interest rates, and stock indices. They have become available to retail traders through the Chicago Board Options Exchange and the American Stock Exchange, as well as various online platforms, allowing you the opportunity to add yet another tool to your investing arsenal. Trading Binary Options is the essential resource for traders seeking clear guidance on these appealing options.

A breakthrough trading book that provides powerful insights on profitable technical patterns and strategies The Art and Science of Technical Analysis is a groundbreaking work that bridges the gaps between the academic view of markets, technical analysis, and profitable trading. The book explores why randomness prevails in markets most, but not all, of the time and how technical analysis can be used to capture statistically validated patterns in certain types of market conditions. The belief of the book is that buying and selling pressure causes patterns in prices, but that these technical patterns are only effective in the presence of true buying/selling imbalance. The Art and Science of Technical Analysis is supported by extensive statistical analysis of the markets, which will debunk some tools and patterns such as Fibonacci analysis, and endorse other tools and trade setups. In addition, this reliable resource discusses trader psychology and trader learning curves based on the author's extensive experience as a trader and trainer of traders. Offers serious traders a way to think about market problems, understand their own performance, and help find a more productive path forward Includes extensive research to validate specific money-making patterns and strategies Written by an experienced market practitioner who has trained and worked with many top traders Filled with in-depth insights and practical advice, The Art and Science of Technical Analysis will give you a realistic sense of how markets behave, when and how technical analysis works, and what it really takes to trade successfully.

An honest depiction of the challenges of trading and a clear explanation of what it takes to succeed Trading tends to be a winner-take-all activity where a small number of traders are very successful, while the majority either lose money or generate relatively small profits. In The Mental Strategies of Top Traders, author Ari Kiev identifies and analyzes the characteristics of successful traders and shows you how to cultivate these same characteristics. Successful trading, Kiev asserts, requires an unusual and sometimes contradictory blend of intellectual and psychological abilities, including the willingness to take risks, but in a very controlled manner; the discipline to develop high-conviction trading ideas in the face of unpredictable markets and incomplete information; as well as a strong drive to win, but also accept failure. Here, you'll discover how to achieve all this, and much more. Provides advice and solutions for traders struggling with today's volatile and stressful markets Authoritatively identifies key mental strategies of top traders Written by Ari Kiev, a highly respected figure in the professional trading community Analysis is supported by comments from contemporary traders and portfolio managers, many of whom struggled with the markets of 2008 Designed with the serious trader in mind, this book will put you in a better position to excel in today's tumultuous markets.

An A to Z options trading guide for the new millennium and the new economy Written by professional trader and quantitative analyst Euan Sinclair, Option Trading is a comprehensive guide to this discipline covering everything from historical background, contract types, and market structure to volatility measurement, forecasting, and hedging techniques. This comprehensive guide presents the detail and practical information that professional option traders need, whether they're using options to hedge, manage money, arbitrage, or engage in structured finance deals. It contains information essential to anyone in this field, including option pricing and price forecasting, the Greeks, implied volatility, volatility measurement and forecasting, and specific option strategies. Explains how to break down a typical position, and repair positions Other titles by Sinclair: Volatility Trading Addresses the various concerns of the professional options trader Option trading will continue to be an important part of the financial landscape. This book will show you how to make the most of these profitable products, no matter what the market does.

Praise for Algorithmic Trading «Algorithmic Trading is an insightful book on quantitative trading written by a seasoned practitioner. What sets this book apart from many others in the space is the emphasis on real examples as opposed to just theory. Concepts are not only described, they are brought to life with actual trading strategies, which give the reader insight into how and why each strategy was developed, how it was implemented, and even how it was coded. This book is a valuable resource for anyone looking to create their own systematic trading strategies and those involved in manager selection, where the knowledge contained in this book will lead to a more informed and nuanced conversation with managers.» —DAREN SMITH, CFA, CAIA, FSA, Managing Director, Manager Selection & Portfolio Construction, University of Toronto Asset Management «Using an excellent selection of mean reversion and momentum strategies, Ernie explains the rationale behind each one, shows how to test it, how to improve it, and discusses implementation issues. His book is a careful, detailed exposition of the scientific method applied to strategy development. For serious retail traders, I know of no other book that provides this range of examples and level of detail. His discussions of how regime changes affect strategies, and of risk management, are invaluable bonuses.» —Roger Hunter, Mathematician and Algorithmic Trader

An informative guide to market microstructure and trading strategies Over the last decade, the financial landscape has undergone a significant transformation, shaped by the forces of technology, globalization, and market innovations to name a few. In order to operate effectively in today's markets, you need more than just the motivation to succeed, you need a firm understanding of how modern financial markets work and what professional trading is really about. Dr. Anatoly Schmidt, who has worked in the financial industry since 1997, and teaches in the Financial Engineering program of Stevens Institute of Technology, puts these topics in perspective with his new book. Divided into three comprehensive parts, this reliable resource offers a balance between the theoretical aspects of market microstructure and trading strategies that may be more relevant for practitioners. Along the way, it skillfully provides an informative overview of modern financial markets as well as an engaging assessment of the methods used in deriving and back-testing trading strategies. Details the modern financial markets for equities, foreign exchange, and fixed income Addresses the basics of market dynamics, including statistical distributions and volatility of returns Offers a summary of approaches used in technical analysis and statistical arbitrage as well as a more detailed description of trading performance criteria and back-testing strategies Includes two appendices that support the main material in the book If you're unprepared to enter today's markets you will underperform. But with Financial Markets and Trading as your guide, you'll quickly discover what it takes to make it in this competitive field.

A comprehensive resource for understanding and trading weekly options Weekly options are traded on all major indices, as well as high volume stocks and ETFs. They continue to surge in popularity, accounting for as much as twenty percent of daily options volume. And while existing options strategy can be used with weeklys, they are particularly conducive to premium selling strategies and short-term trades based on a news item or technical pattern. With this timely guide, and its companion video, you'll learn exactly how to use weeklys to make more money from option selling strategies and how to make less expensive bets on short-term market moves. Written by Russell Rhoads, a top instructor at the CBOE's Options Institute, Trading Weekly Options + Video skillfully explains the unique pricing and behavioral characteristics of weekly options and shows how to take advantage of those unique features using traditional option strategies. The first book and video combination product focused solely on weekly options Outlines the most effective trading strategies associated with weekly options, including taking advantage of the accelerating time-decay curve when an option approaches expiration Filled with the practical, real-world insights of author Russell Rhoads, an expert in this field Created with both the experienced and beginning option traders in mind, this book and video package will help you make the most of your time trading weekly options.