Robust Trading Systems LLC

Our Notes About Algorithmic Trading

Why use automated trading?

The markets are a tough place to be and if you have trading experience, you have learned this quickly. It takes time to make a decision and more time to execute that decision. Traders need as much of an edge as they can get. By setting a trade plan and setting up the computer to execute the plan, the decision process is removed and the execution is nearly instant. That's where algorithmic trading (or trading robots as our fun way to say) come in. Moreover, NinjaTrader gives you an ability to trade on the charts and connect trading robots (NinjaScripts as they call them) to your charts for a robust trading experience. There are many robots available and perhaps many should be tried as they are all likely to be very different. Ours were developed based on two core trading methods, pullback and breakout. We made ours flexible by letting you change many parameters for a customized fit. To continually improve the edge we have over time added numerous features which you will get to know. And we are always improving by adding new ideas as they come up and vigorously testing them to determine their viability for permanent add. Give ours a try today and if you don't have NinjaTrader 8, get it, its free for testing before you go live. More on the NinjaTrader page on our website.

Our Thoughts on Recent Market Volatility

Changes in market volatility, behavior and possibly trend?

Anyone following the markets lately has taken notice of the major changes in volatility, behavior and possibly a looming shift in trend. Many strategies (including automated trading robots) are designed and curve fitted based on a set of previous market data. In our opinion that's good and fine, until you have sustained shifts in volatility, behavior and/or trend. Minor divergences from the norm cause draw-downs which are often recovered from in time but when there are true changes unfolding a trader needs the flexibility to change the strategy, or at least to introduce trading discretion, or they chance getting completely run over. Strategies which are developed to run with static settings may be rendered useless or dangerous. Our strategies are developed with a lot of settings that can be changed by the user and many controls around the trade which be selected and/ or altered. Having the ability to make changes can keep you in the game. We have a couple recommended outside 3rd party indicator/reporting services that we can recommend to our subscribers to help them keep a constant pulse on the market conditions. They can help you to know when to change to altered settings in the strategies we provide. Soon we will introduce a subscriber community platform in order to enhance the collective thoughts of our subscribers, bringing us together for increased consistency.

Ebb n Flow™

Description:

Ebb n Flow™ sets up a pullback trade based on its built-in trend/range indicator. Once a bar has a directional close beyond the previous bar body it sets a pending pullback trade. Until triggered the pending pullback advances, trailing behind subsequent advancing bar closes. You get to pre-set the desired pullback, target and stop distances to achieve anywhere from small scalps to larger swing trades. Next you can set options to determine how the robot interacts with the built-in trend/range indicator. Additionally choose from many customizable and unique trade setup and management controls including technical restrictions and a series of alternative stop options. To top it off there is a unique "diverted trade" mode where it will simulate a trade instead of taking it live. Diverted mode can be set to turn on and off during select times, preset batch of times or even at the flick of a button for full flexibility and discretionary control.

Let's Run™

Description:

Let's Run™ sets up a breakout trade based on its built-in trend/range indicator. The strategy monitors price for a condition in which it has advanced a pre-set distance without having pulled back a separate pre-set distance. If it pulls back too much it resets hunting for the trade conditions. Once price has reached the condition it opens the breakout trade. You get to pre-set the desired advance, negate, target and stop distances to achieve anywhere from small scalps to larger swing trades. Next you can set options to determine how the robot interacts with the built-in trend/range indicator and there is a secondary built-in trend/range indicator which can be used with alternate tolerances for further control. Additionally choose from many customizable and unique trade setup and management controls including technical restrictions and a series of alternative stop options. To top it off there is a unique ability to quickly suspend or resume live trade manually while still being able to watch the requirements calculate for discretionary trading purposes and you can even reset trade requirement calculations at the click of a button.

Important Disclosures:

NinjaTrader® is a registered trademark of NinjaTrader Group, LLC. No NinjaTrader company has any affiliation with the owner, developer, or provider of the products or services described herein, or any interest, ownership or otherwise, in any such product or service, or endorses, recommends or approves any such product or service.
Risk Disclosure: Futures and forex trading contains substantial risk and is not for every investor. An investor could potentially lose all or more than the initial investment. Risk capital is money that can be lost without jeopardizing ones’ financial security or life style. Only risk capital should be used for trading and only those with sufficient risk capital should consider trading. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.
Hypothetical Performance Disclosure: Hypothetical performance results have many inherent limitations, some of which are described below. no representation is being made that any account will or is likely to achieve profits or losses similar to those shown; in fact, there are frequently sharp differences between hypothetical performance results and the actual results subsequently achieved by any particular trading program. One of the limitations of hypothetical performance results is that they are generally prepared with the benefit of hindsight. In addition, hypothetical trading does not involve financial risk, and no hypothetical trading record can completely account for the impact of financial risk of actual trading. for example, the ability to withstand losses or to adhere to a particular trading program in spite of trading losses are material points which can also adversely affect actual trading results. There are numerous other factors related to the markets in general or to the implementation of any specific trading program which cannot be fully accounted for in the preparation of hypothetical performance results and all which can adversely affect trading results.