Thursday, August 20, 2009

What's in a Name?

Algorithmic trading is essentially a mechanical trading system with a defined set of rules. These rules can be coded into algorithms, thus allowing a computer to do the trading on behalf of a human being.

This idea is mainly used in forex markets today, but the system that I have developed will be used to trade ALSI futures (South African Top40 Index). From a time perspective, it's a wonderful idea to have the trading done on your behalf. Needless to say, care needs to be taken when coding these algorithms, as improper execution could damage an account.

I took interest in this subject purely due to time constraints as I am currently studying. Given the time demands of my degree, trying to study and trade lead to poor results on both fronts. Currently, the algorithms have been developed and are in the process of being coded. I'm looking forward to the next step: the actual implementation.

Happy trading.