Strategies

Strategies

A user can open order strategies on the Market Watch screen in the 'Advanced' trading panel mode. Once the order strategy has been created, the detailed information about OCO Order and Ladder of the Orders can be found on the Portfolio > Strategies tab. A user can modify and/or delete the selected strategy.

OCO Order

A user can combine 2 conditional orders and place OCO orders, which will be added to Strategies.

One-Cancels-the-Other (OCO) order is a pair of conditional orders stipulating that if one order executes, then the other order is automatically canceled. An OCO order often combines a Stop order with a Limit order on the trading platform. When either the stop or limit price is reached and the order is executed, the other order is automatically canceled.
Canceling one of the orders (by client request or by GTD option) will also cancel the other one.

Important: OCO orders are only available on Net and Cash accounts.

  • The same trading instrument (Symbol);
  • Orders: Limit-Stop or Stop-Stop;
  • Already linked order cannot be linked with the third one;
  • For the pair Limit-Stop the price for Buy must be less than price for Sell;
  • None of them cannot have option ImmediateOrCancel.

How to place an OCO order

  • Select the Order Strategies tab in Market watch.
    Important: The Order Strategies tab is available only in the Advanced trading panel mode.
  • Select a financial instrument.
  • Set Order 1 type (Limit/Stop) and side (Sell/Buy). Select volume, price and other parameters.
  • Set Order 2 type (Limit/Stop) and side (Sell/Buy). Select volume, price and other parameters.
  • Click Place OCO.

How to manage an OCO order

You can manage the open OCO orders in the following way:
  • Modify Order. You can modify the OCO orders parameters (like price, volume, expiration, etc.). Make changes and click Apply.
  • Cancel Order. You can cancel the OCO strategy. The order pair will be deleted. 
  • Unlink Strategy.  You can break the OCO strategy. Two separate orders will be displayed in the Portfolio

Ladder of the Orders

Ladder of the Orders allow traders to set Buy and Sell orders in increments. This type of order allows traders to implement a laddering strategy whereby they move in and out of positions in small amounts instead of doing it one-time.

Limit orders ladder

Key Features:

  • Averaging (creating an average position): Buying/Selling the average price of an asset over time. There are different versions of averaging into a position, any tactic that involves scaling into a position (dollar cost averaging, where you buy an equal dollar amount in regular intervals, and value cost averaging, buying/selling to ensure a target dollar amount, are two examples of averaging strategies).
  • Laddering (incrementally moving in and out of positions): Instead of buying or selling at a single price, one would set incremental Buy/Sell limit orders up and down the order book, buying when the price goes down and selling when the price goes up.

Stop orders ladder

Key Features:

Pyramiding: Involves adding to profitable positions to take advantage of an instrument that is performing well. It allows for large profits to be made as the position grows. Best of all, it does not have to increase risk if performed properly. Pyramiding is adding to a position to take full advantage of high-performing assets and thus maximizing returns. There are two type of the Pyramiding: Standard and Aggressive.

  • Standard Pyramid trading is a strategy that includes scaling into a winning position, which means continue adding new positions with equal volume to your trade as the trend moves in your favor.
    To apply the Standard Pyramid, please select the volume step as Equal.
    For example, BTC/USD has up trend, user places 3 step ladder:
    • 1 step. Buy Stop Open Price (OP)=55 000 Volume(V)=1 LOT
    • 2 step. Buy Stop Open Price (OP)=56 000 Volume(V)=1 LOT
    • 3 step. Buy Stop Open Price (OP)=57 000 Volume(V)=1 LOT
    • So, if trend moves in User favor at the end they will have a profit from the 3 LOT position.
  • Aggressive Pyramiding method consists of opening positions with volume greater than volume of the previous position as the trend moves in your favor.
    To apply the Aggressive Pyramid, please select the volume step as Arithmetic progression, Inverted Arithmetic progression, Geometric progression, Inverted Geometric progression.
    For example, BTC/USD has up trend, user places 3 step ladder:
    • 1 step. Buy Stop Open Price (OP)=55 000 Volume(V)= 1 LOT;
    • 2 step. Buy Stop Open Price (OP)=56 000 Volume(V)= 2 LOT;
    • 3 step. Buy Stop Open Price (OP)=57 000 Volume(V)= 4 LOT.
    • So, if trend moves in User favor at the end they will have a profit from the 7 LOT position.

Ladder of the orders features

  • Available for all account types.
  • When one of the strategy orders is closed, all orders related to this strategy are closed.
  • In strategy orders, you cannot change parameters except for the Comment field.
  • The strategy opens in one direction.
  • The Ladder of the orders can be executed partially, i.e. one order from the strategy can be executed and there will be less orders left in it.
  • The maximum number of orders in the strategy is 20, the minimum is 2.

How to place a Ladder of orders 

To place a ladder of orders:
  • Select the Order Strategies tab in Market Watch.
    Important: The Order Strategies tab is available only in the Advanced trading panel mode.
  • Select a financial instrument.
  • Set the orders type (Limit/Stop) and side (Sell/Buy).
  • Set Price step type (Linear/Fibo). This is the step type that is used for the calculation of the price distance between pending orders in the Ladder of the orders.
  • Select Total volume. This is total volume of all orders in the ladder depending on the volume and number of orders.
  • Select Volume (Equal, Arithmetic progression, Inverted arithmetic progression, Geometric progression, Inverted geometric progression). This is a distribution method of the total volume of the Ladder of the orders.
    Select Volume scaled size for all volumes but the Equal.
  • Set the Number of orders in the Ladder of the orders (2 - 20).
  • Select the Expiration (GTC/GTD), if necessary.
  • Click Place Ladder.

If the Ladder of orders was successfully created, the strategy will appear in the Portfolio > Strategies tab and orders of the Ladder will be added to the Portfolio > Orders tab.

How to manage a Ladder of orders 

You can manage the open Ladder orders directly in the Strategies/Orders table:

  • Modify Order. You can modify only 'Comment' on each order of the Ladder. Make changes and click Apply.
  • Cancel Order. You can cancel the Ladder of orders. All the orders of the Ladder will be deleted.

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