Trading fractions of a contract

• 08/07/2016 at 11:23 PM #11328
  Wing

  Hello

  I have made a few systems to trade oil (brent crude) and gold with. According to my broker (IG), the minimum position size when trading Brent Crude is 0.2 contracts. However, PRT backtesting results in no trades whenever I enter my position size as anything below 1 lot/contract. Is trading fractions of a contract not possible in ProOrder?

   

   

  

  Wing

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  08/08/2016 at 9:40 AM #11334
  absent1980

  Hi,

  “1” is the minimum size in backtesting and live trades. You actually need to watch Broker’s minimum position sizes because some trades may not be accepted. It’s not an issue if you have fixed position size but may become a problem if positions adjusted for every trade (i.e. linked to ATR etc) and your account is too small.

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  Wing, Nicolas

  

  absent1980

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  02/10/2017 at 3:16 PM #24684
  random45689

   

  I understand what has been said but why this limitation of 1 – surely it is a serious disadvantage not being able to trade with the smaller sizes available from IG?

  Also – I have just had it confirmed from IG that minimum size can and does change (Brent Crude today is 1 and I was told the DOW and DAX30 have both just recently decreased from 2 to 1) so similar to this thread – https://www.prorealcode.com/topic/how-do-i-get-the-position-side-buy-and-sell/ – is it possible to get the minimum size from IG into PRT even if it has to be in the form of MAX(1, IG Size)

  Auto Strategies error and STOP if they try to place an order size smaller than the minimum available from IG so a strategy running now on the DOW with a maximum order size of 1 will error and stop a few weeks later if/when the size goes back up to 2

  The only information I can find in PRT that relates to size is when clicking on the ‘i’ symbol top left of a chart which shows Point Value – but this is ALWAYS £1 for EVERY instrument and this I have found also means the same auto strategy will run in demo ProOrder but error and STOP when run live!

   

   

  

  random45689

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  02/10/2017 at 3:44 PM #24695
  Nicolas

  Minimum contract size of instrument can’t be retrieved by code, sorry. It’s another request you should put in the dedicated topic! queries and suggestions

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  Nicolas

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  03/04/2017 at 9:47 PM #27171
  servale

  Hi, IG minimum size for entry is 1, but it is possible close fractions of contracts.

  Tried probacktesting:

  IF LONGONMARKET THEN SELL 0.5 CONTRACT AT MARKET ENDIF

  1 2 3 4 5

  IF LONGONMARKET THEN   SELL 0.5 CONTRACT AT MARKET   ENDIF

   

  It doesn’t work

  

  servale

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  03/05/2017 at 9:22 AM #27178
  Wing

  You can’t partially close a position.

  

  Wing

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  03/05/2017 at 9:54 AM #27180
  servale

  The question is about fractions of contract. If you buy 2 contract, for example, you can reduce by 1.

  If you buyed 2 contract you can:

  IF LONGONMARKET THEN SELL 1 CONTRACT AT MARKET ENDIF

  1 2 3 4 5

  IF LONGONMARKET THEN   SELL 1 CONTRACT AT MARKET   ENDIF

   

  This work

  In IG web platform it is possible reduce positions by fractions of contract.

  

  servale

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  03/05/2017 at 10:10 AM #27182
  Nicolas

  Wing is right about the fact that it’s not possible to partially close positions with coding instructions. But it’s possible through IG platform though.

  

  Nicolas

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  03/05/2017 at 12:21 PM #27198
  servale

  Understand.. but just for fractions of 1. For other size is possible, buy 2 and sell 1 as code posted above for example. Tested.

  

  servale

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  03/05/2017 at 12:50 PM #27201
  Nicolas

  Partial close of positions only works in paper trading (backtests), not in live trading unfortunately.

  

  Nicolas

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