Pairs Trading description?
Author: sourkraut
Creation Date: 1/5/2011 2:03 PM
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sourkraut

#1
Hi,

I've downloaded available strategies via the download button in Strategies dialog.
I found "Pairs Trading", by "Willibald", dated Aug 11, 2009, and it describes just what I've been looking for.

However, it doesn't produce expected results, and I would like to discuss some of it's settings.


Can anyone help?

Q1: When searching for "Pairs Trading" this particular strategy does not pop up. How can a strategy wind up in the download box, and does not show up either in the Wiki or the forums?

Q2: I don't understand the threshold settings. What units are being use? Points? Percent?
The ratio I expec is about Stock A 1.5 : 1.0 Stock B. I would like to set the threshold to +/- 0.2 in the ratio (i.e. 1.3 to 1.7 : 1). How do I do that?

Thanks for any imput.

Eb

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Eugene

#2
Answering just to...

Q1: Nobody has started a discussion thread. Your search query isn't picking up the right thread(s). The Wiki isn't the place to host/document/discuss strategies. All of the above.

Also, downloaded Strategies are discussed in their own discussion forums created automatically on their upload and specifically for that purpose. Click "Strategies and Trading", find the strategy of interest, click on "3 Topics" to get there (typically it's "0 Topics" but the "Pairs Trading" strategy has already been discussed by other forum members there before).
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sourkraut

#3
OK, thanks.

Here is where the confusion for dummies liek me comes from:

There is a community, which appears to be where you discuss stuff.
There is a Wiki, ditto.
There is a "Strategies and Trading" link, which brings up strategies, and yes, I found "Pairs Trading" but there didn't seem to be any way to create a topic there. The "3 topics" link is a) obscure, and b) misleading. If there were 0 topics, is that still the way to start a thread?
I would have expected to find a link to create a thred on the strategy description page.

And, when I searched for "Pairs Trading" before, I got results older than the ones you pointed out to me.


Sorry, I know that should have gone elsewhere, but you already chastised me (deservedly) here, and maybe you'll let it slide ;-)


Eb
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Eugene

#4
Eb, I'm not sure what chastising is about as I was merely giving a pointer to the straightest method of discussion of published strategies on a dedicated area of the site. (btw, forget about the Wiki in this context: it's the WL6 Knowledge Base and the home of our open source projects, not the place to discuss stuff.)
QUOTE:
I would have expected to find a link to create a thred on the strategy description page.

By the time you've got to the strategy description page, you've already visited the strategy listing page where you could have noticed the "Topics" column that takes you right to the dedicated discussion forums. So placing a link on the description page means requiring you to take an extra step (which confronts usability principles).
QUOTE:
If there were 0 topics, is that still the way to start a thread?

Of course.
QUOTE:
And, when I searched for "Pairs Trading" before, I got results older than the ones you pointed out to me.

Those Strategy forums are not included in search results.
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Eugene

#5
QUOTE:
There is a "Strategies and Trading" link, which brings up strategies, and yes, I found "Pairs Trading" but there didn't seem to be any way to create a topic there.

On a second thought I think it's a good point and possible enhancement, so a support ticket has been entered to add a "Discuss this strategy" link to strategy description pages.
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sourkraut

#6
QUOTE:
On a second thought I think it's a good point and possible enhancement, so a support ticket was entered to add a "Discuss this strategy" link to strategy description pages.


Thanks
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paulpaul777

#7
Sourkraut, I'm trying to work my way thru a similar strategy so any code updates you have would be very welcome.
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sourkraut

#8
I do not fully understand how the downloaded "pairs trading" strategy works. Most of my effort has gone into a completely different approach, which only generates indicators, no trades. I'm fairly new to generating trades from within a WL script.

My own strategy does not yet generate any alerts. Which means either I'm barking up the wrong tree, or the stocks I'm comparing are to closely correlated.


Eb
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sourkraut

#9
Paul777,

QUOTE:
any code updates you have would be very welcome.


Not sure if you're interested in this, it's not a strategy, but an indicator (of sorts).

Look in the WL Script Programming Guide, "Charting Multiple Symbols",
the thrid segment, "Compare to a Benchmark Symbol".

The ratio established at a user-specified date strikes me as a valid starting point for defining a trading strategy.


Cheers,


Eb
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