Portfolio analyser

[Tony Beckwith]

It's worth repeating that Market System Analyzer (MSA) from Adaptrade Software is a very compact and useful portfolio risk programme: http://www.adaptrade.com/

Also worth repeating that we are not connected to Adaptrade, just happy using the product.

Feel free to let us know of any similar software that you use and like.

Thanks

Tony.

[AlanD]

Tony,

I've been looking at MSA as I agree it could be a very useful program. To help solidify my decision to purchase the program, do you know of anyone who may have a sample Forex file which can be read by MSA to test it with?

Thanks,
Alan

[Matt Bowen]

Hi Alan,

Like Tony, I use it everyday to plot my equity curve...this is something EVERY trader should do each day. Not knowing what your equity curve is like running your business on hope (which is not a strategy). Good traders keep good records and this program will help you keep excellent records.

But to answer your question, you can import several ways ASCII and EXEL being the two most common. Go to chapter 3 and read the about the import:

http://www.adaptrade.com/MSA2UsersGuide.pdf

As Tony said before, we do not get paid by Michael Bryant (the owner of MSA) to say any of this, we are just happy users.:)

Hope that helps,

-Matt

[AlanD]

Matt,

Thanks for the input. Say on another note, based on your experience with MTP, have you noticed by now whether the methodology has a tendency to conform better to FOREX, Futures or the indices (SP/NQ)?

R,
Alan

[Matt Bowen]

Hi Alan,

Say on another note, based on your experience with MTP, have you noticed by now whether the methodology has a tendency to conform better to FOREX, Futures or the indices (SP/NQ)?

No, not at all... In fact, this question comes up at least 3 or 4 times a week by traders who have watched the software for 30 to 60 days. As for a good sample size I like to see 100 trades (30 is the absolute minimum I will even consider for a sample), but to get a good feel for the software you need to really have made 100 trades. Even looking at 10 trades tells me nothing, because you can have a bad equity run with 8 trades and the two winners might not pay for the other losers.

Trading runs in cycles, you can have a hot streak right from the start or you can start right at the beginning of a drawdown, just remember to make a 100 trades before you start making an opinion of any system. People say: "Well gee matt, if I put on 100 trades I might not have any money left by the time I make 100 trades". Well, if that's the case then you are risking way too much money each trade and I would simply tell that person to go back and learn position sizing...because if they are truly using the position sizing, they are not going to get into trouble by risking 1% per trade. I tell new traders not to risk more than 1% on each position until they start to make some money... because controlling the risk is always the first priority of any trading system.

All the best,