Please visit our E Mini Day Trading Course at http://www.easy-emini.com/
Perhaps you have been trading for a while and have wanted to take your trading to the next level. Perhaps this is due to the fact that your E Mini futures (E Mini FAQ) trading has migrated to a low level and you wish to bring it up. Either way, if you find yourself in a place to want to build upon your knowledge base then maybe purchasing a trading course is for you.
There are some things to consider when going down this path. First, you have options when it comes to furthering your education. While not an exhaustive list, here are some things to think about:
Online or In Person? Being the provider of an online course (http://www.easy-emini.com/) I am a bit biased but it is important to know what is available. Obviously, distance plays a huge role in your decision making process but also important is that you understand how you learn. Do you learn better by reading on your own or is a classroom setting? My opinion is that people tend to focus on the course itself and not how it is delivered.
Individual or Group? When it comes to the in person type of E Mini trading courses some courses provide for one-on-one instruction. This is usually referred to as trade coaching. Like any other type of lessons, the private version is usually much more expensive but if you have the means this could be the best route to get you to where you want to go. Consider only getting the attention of the instructor a portion of the time.
Broad or Sharply Defined Course? Make sure to ask for a complete course syllabus and description before putting your money down. Make sure the course is going to cover exactly what you want. In the end, two very precious things are at stake: You time and your money! Think how many times you have taken a class, or sat through some presentation and came away with little more than what you came in through the door with?
Education, in E Mini futures trading or anything else is a very personal thing. Be honest with yourself and clearly define what it is you are looking for. What do you want to get out of furthering your education? You need to successfully sift through the marketing literature about a course and determine if it is exactly what you need.
Please visit our E Mini Day Trading Course at http://www.easy-emini.com/
Futures trading involves substantial risk and is not suitable for all investors
A simple yet powerful home study course for E-Mini futures traders www.Easy-Emini.com
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Want to Get Mobile E-Mini Quotes & Trade Futures from your IPhone or Blackberry
Please visit our E Mini Futures Day Trading Course at http://www.easy-emini.com/
The purpose of this blog is to provide investor education to those interested in the E Mini futures markets. To deliver the best content we can, we look to our members, visitors, and purchases of our E Mini Futures Day Trading Courses over at http://www.easy-emini.com/for ideas. To that end, we have develped a simple, one-question poll you can see to the right which asks the question: Do you want to be able to Trade Futures from your IPhone or Blackberry?
Let us know! Thanks for your help!
Please visit our E Mini Futures Day Trading Course at http://www.easy-emini.com/
Futures trading involves substantial risk and is not suitable for all investors.
The purpose of this blog is to provide investor education to those interested in the E Mini futures markets. To deliver the best content we can, we look to our members, visitors, and purchases of our E Mini Futures Day Trading Courses over at http://www.easy-emini.com/for ideas. To that end, we have develped a simple, one-question poll you can see to the right which asks the question: Do you want to be able to Trade Futures from your IPhone or Blackberry?
Let us know! Thanks for your help!
Please visit our E Mini Futures Day Trading Course at http://www.easy-emini.com/
Futures trading involves substantial risk and is not suitable for all investors.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Crude Oil Futures FAQ
Please visit our E Mini Futures Day Trading Course site at: www.Easy-Emini.com
Did you know that you can trade a mini crude oil futures contract? Before you put down you money, check out the facts:
Oil Futures FAQ
Oil Futures FAQ
Futures contracts including trading in crude oil futures are financial instruments and carry with them legally binding obligations. Buyer and seller have the obligation to take or make delivery of an underlying instrument at a specified settlement date in the future. Oil futures are part of the derivatives family of financial products as their value ‘derives’ from the underlying instrument. These contracts are standardised in terms of quality, quantity and settlement dates.
About NYMEX, ICE and WTI
There are futures markets for a number of instruments ranging across currencies, bonds, equities, interest rates and commodities. In the case of crude oil, the main futures exchanges are the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) and the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) where West Texas Intermediate (WTI) and North Sea Brent crude oil are traded respectively.
These exchanges trade what is referred to as ‘light- sweet’ crude oil and a single contract, or ‘lot’, calls for the purchase or sale of 1,000 barrels of oil. Traders can buy and sell oil for delivery several months or years ahead.
The bulk of activity in commodity futures markets is typically concentrated on oil for delivery in the next three months. However, in the past five years, activity has increased substantially for deliveries much further into the future as more investors put money into commodity indices.
How Are Oil Futures Traded?
Futures contracts are traded on regulated futures exchanges. Trading can take place through electronic dealing systems, open outcry around a pit or a combination of both. To trade on an exchange, you need to be a member of that exchange. Exchange members can trade on their own account or they can execute orders for hedgers or speculators.
In the latter case, exchange members are acting as brokers and will collect a fee for their service. Each futures exchange has a clearing house which ensures that trades are settled in accordance with market rules and that guarantees the performance of the contracts traded.
The Role of Clearing Houses
The NYMEX operates its own clearing house. In the UK, the London Clearing House (LCH.Clearnet) is a recognised house that clears business for many different exchanges. The ICE exchange as well is recognised as a clearing house by the UK regulator, the Financial Services Authority (FSA).
In the US, the equivalent government regulator is the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). When a buyer and a seller agree to trade on futures exchanges, their transaction is recorded and the clearing house then steps in between them, in effect breaking the ‘bond’ between the buyer and the seller to become counterparty to both sides – the process of creating a trade in the name of the clearing house to each of the parties is often referred to as ‘novation’.
The clearing house, among other roles, is responsible for the management of the risk on transactions on the exchange – it establishes margin levels, default rules and ensures the settling of individual positions.
When market participants buy futures, they do not pay the full amount of value of the contracts they purchase. Rather, they pay an initial margin that acts like an insurance deposit (the amount is determined by the clearing house).
This initial margin represents a percentage of the value of the transaction. At the end of each trading day, individual positions are evaluated relative to the closing price of the market published by the exchange – participants are then said to be ‘marked to market’.
If their position is profitable, that profit will accrue into their account. In contrast, if the position is not profitable, the loss will be deducted from the initial deposit and the participant will be given a ‘margin call’ (called the variation or maintenance margin) to make up the difference.
On the settlement date or the expiry of futures contract, the buyer and seller have the obligation to make or take delivery of the instrument. In the case of oil, settlement can be carried out in two ways: through the actual delivery of oil into a predefined location or through a cash settlement.
In the case of the NYMEX WTI contract, physical delivery is possible and entails delivery into the oil hub of Cushing, Oklahoma. On the ICE Brent contract, there is no physical delivery but a cash settlement is available – the value of the position is assessed relative to the settlement price and a correponding financial payment is made.
In reality, very rarely does physical delivery take place in commodity futures. At the same time, market participants do not necessarily need to wait for the expiry of their contract to settle their obligation vis-à-vis the exchange.
Positions are often closed by taking an offsetting position for an equal and opposite amount of contracts. For example, a buyer of a certain futures can therefore sell an equal amount of that futures, making their net obligation relative to the exchange zero.
Crude Oil Futures Definition
The world’s most actively traded commodity based on crude oil, which is unrefined oil that is a popular source of energy and energy-related products. Contracts on many different types of oil are traded on exchanges throughout the world. In the United States, the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) is the major trading exchange for crude oil futures contracts. In the United Kingdom, the major trading venue is the International Petroleum Exchange.
Light sweet crude oil is preferred by refiners because of its ability to yield high levels of gasoline, diesel fuel, heating oil, and jet fuel. Other trading exchanges throughout the world also trade futures and options on many different varieties of crude oil. The benchmark light, sweet crude oil contract that NYMEX bases its contract on is the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil that is delivered in Midland,
Texas. Cash prices for WTI are quoted at Cushing, Oklahoma, which is a major crude oil shipment point that has extensive pipeline connections to oil producing areas and Southwest and Gulf Coast-based refining centers.
Please visit our E Mini Futures Day Trading Course site at: www.Easy-Emini.com
Futures trading involves substantial risk and is not suitable for all investors
Did you know that you can trade a mini crude oil futures contract? Before you put down you money, check out the facts:
Oil Futures FAQ
Oil Futures FAQ
Futures contracts including trading in crude oil futures are financial instruments and carry with them legally binding obligations. Buyer and seller have the obligation to take or make delivery of an underlying instrument at a specified settlement date in the future. Oil futures are part of the derivatives family of financial products as their value ‘derives’ from the underlying instrument. These contracts are standardised in terms of quality, quantity and settlement dates.
About NYMEX, ICE and WTI
There are futures markets for a number of instruments ranging across currencies, bonds, equities, interest rates and commodities. In the case of crude oil, the main futures exchanges are the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) and the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) where West Texas Intermediate (WTI) and North Sea Brent crude oil are traded respectively.
These exchanges trade what is referred to as ‘light- sweet’ crude oil and a single contract, or ‘lot’, calls for the purchase or sale of 1,000 barrels of oil. Traders can buy and sell oil for delivery several months or years ahead.
The bulk of activity in commodity futures markets is typically concentrated on oil for delivery in the next three months. However, in the past five years, activity has increased substantially for deliveries much further into the future as more investors put money into commodity indices.
How Are Oil Futures Traded?
Futures contracts are traded on regulated futures exchanges. Trading can take place through electronic dealing systems, open outcry around a pit or a combination of both. To trade on an exchange, you need to be a member of that exchange. Exchange members can trade on their own account or they can execute orders for hedgers or speculators.
In the latter case, exchange members are acting as brokers and will collect a fee for their service. Each futures exchange has a clearing house which ensures that trades are settled in accordance with market rules and that guarantees the performance of the contracts traded.
The Role of Clearing Houses
The NYMEX operates its own clearing house. In the UK, the London Clearing House (LCH.Clearnet) is a recognised house that clears business for many different exchanges. The ICE exchange as well is recognised as a clearing house by the UK regulator, the Financial Services Authority (FSA).
In the US, the equivalent government regulator is the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). When a buyer and a seller agree to trade on futures exchanges, their transaction is recorded and the clearing house then steps in between them, in effect breaking the ‘bond’ between the buyer and the seller to become counterparty to both sides – the process of creating a trade in the name of the clearing house to each of the parties is often referred to as ‘novation’.
The clearing house, among other roles, is responsible for the management of the risk on transactions on the exchange – it establishes margin levels, default rules and ensures the settling of individual positions.
When market participants buy futures, they do not pay the full amount of value of the contracts they purchase. Rather, they pay an initial margin that acts like an insurance deposit (the amount is determined by the clearing house).
This initial margin represents a percentage of the value of the transaction. At the end of each trading day, individual positions are evaluated relative to the closing price of the market published by the exchange – participants are then said to be ‘marked to market’.
If their position is profitable, that profit will accrue into their account. In contrast, if the position is not profitable, the loss will be deducted from the initial deposit and the participant will be given a ‘margin call’ (called the variation or maintenance margin) to make up the difference.
On the settlement date or the expiry of futures contract, the buyer and seller have the obligation to make or take delivery of the instrument. In the case of oil, settlement can be carried out in two ways: through the actual delivery of oil into a predefined location or through a cash settlement.
In the case of the NYMEX WTI contract, physical delivery is possible and entails delivery into the oil hub of Cushing, Oklahoma. On the ICE Brent contract, there is no physical delivery but a cash settlement is available – the value of the position is assessed relative to the settlement price and a correponding financial payment is made.
In reality, very rarely does physical delivery take place in commodity futures. At the same time, market participants do not necessarily need to wait for the expiry of their contract to settle their obligation vis-à-vis the exchange.
Positions are often closed by taking an offsetting position for an equal and opposite amount of contracts. For example, a buyer of a certain futures can therefore sell an equal amount of that futures, making their net obligation relative to the exchange zero.
Crude Oil Futures Definition
The world’s most actively traded commodity based on crude oil, which is unrefined oil that is a popular source of energy and energy-related products. Contracts on many different types of oil are traded on exchanges throughout the world. In the United States, the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) is the major trading exchange for crude oil futures contracts. In the United Kingdom, the major trading venue is the International Petroleum Exchange.
Light sweet crude oil is preferred by refiners because of its ability to yield high levels of gasoline, diesel fuel, heating oil, and jet fuel. Other trading exchanges throughout the world also trade futures and options on many different varieties of crude oil. The benchmark light, sweet crude oil contract that NYMEX bases its contract on is the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil that is delivered in Midland,
Texas. Cash prices for WTI are quoted at Cushing, Oklahoma, which is a major crude oil shipment point that has extensive pipeline connections to oil producing areas and Southwest and Gulf Coast-based refining centers.
Please visit our E Mini Futures Day Trading Course site at: www.Easy-Emini.com
Futures trading involves substantial risk and is not suitable for all investors
Monday, August 30, 2010
Is Walmart the Barometer for the Economy?
Please visit our E Mini futures day trading course web site at: www.Easy-Emini.com
I read an interesting article by Greg Farrell in New York and James Politi in Washington on www.FT.com about the divergence of success between luxury retailers like Tiffany’s and Neiman Marcus and mass-market retailers like WalMart and Zales.
The high-end retailers are seeing an upsurge in growth and revenue at a time when the mass-market stores are headed in the opposite direction. For example, according to the article “On Friday, Tiffany, the luxury jeweler retailer, reported a 9 per cent increase in sales for the second quarter of 2010 over the comparable period a year ago.
By contrast, Zale’s, a mass- market chain of jewelry stores, has seen its 2010 sales lag behind its comparable figures for 2009.
Neiman Marcus, the luxury department store chain, reported a 7.6 per cent jump in revenues for the quarter ended July 31. Earlier this month, Walmart reported that same-store sales for the second-quarter of 2010 had declined from the previous year’s levels.”
What are we to come away with from this data? In my opinion, I think this is a negative indicator for the coming near-term economic climate. Most likely, these figures are tied to the woeful unemployment picture. Even the vaunted Walmart is hurting? The economy will be lead higher by the middle of the country. Call it Main Street. Until that sector of the population is out spending again with dollars earned from a job (not a government program) the economy is going to continue to be mired in this ditch. The rich will still buy diamonds in a good economy and apparently buy them when it is bad. The bottom line is not focus on the health of the lower end of the socio-economic spectrum for the barometer, not the top.
Please visit our E Mini futures day trading course web site at: www.Easy-Emini.com
Futures trading involves substantial risk and is not suitable for all investors
I read an interesting article by Greg Farrell in New York and James Politi in Washington on www.FT.com about the divergence of success between luxury retailers like Tiffany’s and Neiman Marcus and mass-market retailers like WalMart and Zales.
The high-end retailers are seeing an upsurge in growth and revenue at a time when the mass-market stores are headed in the opposite direction. For example, according to the article “On Friday, Tiffany, the luxury jeweler retailer, reported a 9 per cent increase in sales for the second quarter of 2010 over the comparable period a year ago.
By contrast, Zale’s, a mass- market chain of jewelry stores, has seen its 2010 sales lag behind its comparable figures for 2009.
Neiman Marcus, the luxury department store chain, reported a 7.6 per cent jump in revenues for the quarter ended July 31. Earlier this month, Walmart reported that same-store sales for the second-quarter of 2010 had declined from the previous year’s levels.”
What are we to come away with from this data? In my opinion, I think this is a negative indicator for the coming near-term economic climate. Most likely, these figures are tied to the woeful unemployment picture. Even the vaunted Walmart is hurting? The economy will be lead higher by the middle of the country. Call it Main Street. Until that sector of the population is out spending again with dollars earned from a job (not a government program) the economy is going to continue to be mired in this ditch. The rich will still buy diamonds in a good economy and apparently buy them when it is bad. The bottom line is not focus on the health of the lower end of the socio-economic spectrum for the barometer, not the top.
Please visit our E Mini futures day trading course web site at: www.Easy-Emini.com
Futures trading involves substantial risk and is not suitable for all investors
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
E Mini Futures How-To: Using Moving Averages
Please visit our E Mini Futures Course site at http://www.easy-emini.com/
Our "How-to" for the day involves applying a simple moving average to an E Mini futures (E Mini FAQ) chart to help give us some clues as to what the direction the market might be heading. In my video below I used a five-minute chart and applied both a 14 and 50 period exponential moving average. While it takes some trial and error to find the right combination for your style of trading I believe that this is one of the simplist ways to determine which direction the market is headed. As with all trading and indicators, there is no gaurantee.
Futures trading involves substantial risk and is not suitable for all investors
Please visit our E Mini Futures Course site at http://www.easy-emini.com/
Our "How-to" for the day involves applying a simple moving average to an E Mini futures (E Mini FAQ) chart to help give us some clues as to what the direction the market might be heading. In my video below I used a five-minute chart and applied both a 14 and 50 period exponential moving average. While it takes some trial and error to find the right combination for your style of trading I believe that this is one of the simplist ways to determine which direction the market is headed. As with all trading and indicators, there is no gaurantee.
Futures trading involves substantial risk and is not suitable for all investors
Please visit our E Mini Futures Course site at http://www.easy-emini.com/
Monday, August 23, 2010
Best IPhone App for Futures Traders
Please visit our E Mini futures trading course web site at www.Easy-Emini.com
I have surveyed the landscape of IPhone and IPad apps for futures traders and in my opinion; the one that comes to the top is Tap & Trade. There are other clever App’s out there but most revolve around tracking your portfolio or track various markets or exchanges. Still others provide for quotes (The CME Group has an excellent one) both real time and delayed. All of that is great, but what if you actually wanted to do all of that and trade futures? Tap & Trade lets you do that on a very intuitive and elegant platform.
Designed for professional traders, brokers, and FCM’s this platform is at the high end of sophistication and will probably not suit a novice.
From the Tap&Trade web site, here is the detailed look at what they can bring to your trading:
Real-time Commodity Trading and Risk Management on your IPhone and iPod touch.
Tap and Trade is the first IPhone and iPod touch application designed specifically for Professional Commodity Traders, Risk Managers, FCMs and Brokers.
Tap and Trade is an integrated, fully functional application with a single entry design that is extremely user-friendly and intuitive. You can Tap and Trade exchange-traded futures and OTC contracts including global crude oil, refined products, natural gas, coal, agriculture, foreign exchange/financials, metals, and other related marketplaces. For a complimentary desktop solution, you can try our powerful flagship product suite, exchange tools.
With Tap & Trade you can trade:
• Agriculture
• Crude Oil Futures
• Energy
• FX/Financials
• Gasoil Futures
• Heat & Gas Futures
• Indexes
• Metals
• Natural Gas Futures
• OTC Markets
• and more…
With our innovative suite of products, renowned technology expertise, fast delivery, and straight through processing experience, we give you the ability to trade when you want to and wherever you are. We give commodity trading professionals the assurance in their market decisions and a real-time advantage in creating trading opportunities.
Tap and Trade Summary of Functionality
• Trade Futures Contracts across Multiple Exchanges, including the ICE, CME, NYMEX, DME, and more.
• Powerful Risk Management and Credit Controls with real-time alerts including Quantity Limits, Commodity Restrictions, Per Commodity Daily Long & Short Position Limits, Daily Risk Assessment Value (RAV) Limits, and more.
• Trade OTC Contracts including full support for bilateral orders and Cleared OTC orders.
• Real-time trader summary reports of open orders and completed trades.
• Quick and simple set-up of custom trading screens for easy viewing of multiple trading strategies and commodities.
• Full Depth of Market Display along with Completed Trades and Volumes.
• Full Implieds Functionality including support for Implied orders on the ICE and CME Exchanges.
• View Multiple Commodities Simultaneously from the same screen including Energy, Agriculture, FX/Financials, Indexes, Metals, and more.
• Straight Through Processing of concluded trades directly into user’s front-middle-back office trading systems as well as dumps to Excel.
You can check out a demo on their site as well at www.tapandtrade.com.
Please visit our E Mini futures trading course web site at www.Easy-Emini.com
Futures trading involves substantial risk and is not suitable for all investors
I have surveyed the landscape of IPhone and IPad apps for futures traders and in my opinion; the one that comes to the top is Tap & Trade. There are other clever App’s out there but most revolve around tracking your portfolio or track various markets or exchanges. Still others provide for quotes (The CME Group has an excellent one) both real time and delayed. All of that is great, but what if you actually wanted to do all of that and trade futures? Tap & Trade lets you do that on a very intuitive and elegant platform.
Designed for professional traders, brokers, and FCM’s this platform is at the high end of sophistication and will probably not suit a novice.
From the Tap&Trade web site, here is the detailed look at what they can bring to your trading:
Real-time Commodity Trading and Risk Management on your IPhone and iPod touch.
Tap and Trade is the first IPhone and iPod touch application designed specifically for Professional Commodity Traders, Risk Managers, FCMs and Brokers.
Tap and Trade is an integrated, fully functional application with a single entry design that is extremely user-friendly and intuitive. You can Tap and Trade exchange-traded futures and OTC contracts including global crude oil, refined products, natural gas, coal, agriculture, foreign exchange/financials, metals, and other related marketplaces. For a complimentary desktop solution, you can try our powerful flagship product suite, exchange tools.
With Tap & Trade you can trade:
• Agriculture
• Crude Oil Futures
• Energy
• FX/Financials
• Gasoil Futures
• Heat & Gas Futures
• Indexes
• Metals
• Natural Gas Futures
• OTC Markets
• and more…
With our innovative suite of products, renowned technology expertise, fast delivery, and straight through processing experience, we give you the ability to trade when you want to and wherever you are. We give commodity trading professionals the assurance in their market decisions and a real-time advantage in creating trading opportunities.
Tap and Trade Summary of Functionality
• Trade Futures Contracts across Multiple Exchanges, including the ICE, CME, NYMEX, DME, and more.
• Powerful Risk Management and Credit Controls with real-time alerts including Quantity Limits, Commodity Restrictions, Per Commodity Daily Long & Short Position Limits, Daily Risk Assessment Value (RAV) Limits, and more.
• Trade OTC Contracts including full support for bilateral orders and Cleared OTC orders.
• Real-time trader summary reports of open orders and completed trades.
• Quick and simple set-up of custom trading screens for easy viewing of multiple trading strategies and commodities.
• Full Depth of Market Display along with Completed Trades and Volumes.
• Full Implieds Functionality including support for Implied orders on the ICE and CME Exchanges.
• View Multiple Commodities Simultaneously from the same screen including Energy, Agriculture, FX/Financials, Indexes, Metals, and more.
• Straight Through Processing of concluded trades directly into user’s front-middle-back office trading systems as well as dumps to Excel.
You can check out a demo on their site as well at www.tapandtrade.com.
Please visit our E Mini futures trading course web site at www.Easy-Emini.com
Futures trading involves substantial risk and is not suitable for all investors
Friday, August 13, 2010
E Mini Grain Futures
Want to learn more about E Mini Futures trading? Check out our course at http://www.easy-emini.com/
When anyone refers to E Mini trading (E Mini FAQ), the first thing that springs to mind is smaller sized cousin to the big S&P500 or other stock index futures contract. Did you know that you can trade small grain futures contracts? With the Russian wheat crop withering under a brutal drought, wheat futures are attracting a lot of attention. The Chicago Board of Trade offers mini (1/5 sized) contracts of wheat, soybeans and corn futures. All the same potential advantages of trading mini stock index contacts come into play. Versatility, ability to scale in and out of larger positions, and for those new to grain trading, the ability to dip your toe in the water without committing to a larger size contract.
Want to learn more, check out the CME Group’s site here: http://www.cmegroup.com/
Want to learn more about E Mini Futures trading? Check out our course at http://www.easy-emini.com/
Futures trading involves substantial risk and is not suitable for all investors
When anyone refers to E Mini trading (E Mini FAQ), the first thing that springs to mind is smaller sized cousin to the big S&P500 or other stock index futures contract. Did you know that you can trade small grain futures contracts? With the Russian wheat crop withering under a brutal drought, wheat futures are attracting a lot of attention. The Chicago Board of Trade offers mini (1/5 sized) contracts of wheat, soybeans and corn futures. All the same potential advantages of trading mini stock index contacts come into play. Versatility, ability to scale in and out of larger positions, and for those new to grain trading, the ability to dip your toe in the water without committing to a larger size contract.
Want to learn more, check out the CME Group’s site here: http://www.cmegroup.com/
Want to learn more about E Mini Futures trading? Check out our course at http://www.easy-emini.com/
Futures trading involves substantial risk and is not suitable for all investors
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