Machine Trading

Machine Trading is a practical guide to building your algorithmic trading business. Written by a recognized trader with major institution expertise, this book provides step-by-step instruction on quantitative trading and the latest technologies available even outside the Wall Street sphere. You'll discover the latest platforms that are becoming increasingly easy to use, gain access to new markets, and learn new quantitative strategies that are applicable to stocks, options, futures, currencies, and even bitcoins. The companion website provides downloadable software codes, and you'll learn to design your own proprietary tools using MATLAB. The author's experiences provide deep insight into both the business and human side of systematic trading and money management, and his evolution from proprietary trader to fund manager contains valuable lessons for investors at any level.

Algorithmic trading is booming, and the theories, tools, technologies, and the markets themselves are evolving at a rapid pace. This book gets you up to speed, and walks you through the process of developing your own proprietary trading operation using the latest tools.

• Utilize the newer, easier algorithmic trading platforms
• Access markets previously unavailable to systematic traders
• Adopt new strategies for a variety of instruments
• Gain expert perspective into the human side of trading

The strength of algorithmic trading is its versatility. It can be used in any strategy, including market-making, inter-market spreading, arbitrage, or pure speculation; decision-making and implementation can be augmented at any stage, or may operate completely automatically. Traders looking to step up their strategy need look no further than Machine Trading for clear instruction and expert solutions.

Preface ix

Chapter 1 The Basics of Algorithmic Trading 1

Chapter 2 Factor Models 27

Chapter 3 Time-Series Analysis 59

Chapter 4 Artificial Intelligence Techniques 83

Chapter 5 Options Strategies 119

Chapter 6 Intraday Trading and Market Microstructure 159

Chapter 7 Bitcoins 201

Chapter 8 Algorithmic Trading Is Good for Body and Soul 215

Bibliography 227

About the Author 235

Index 237

ERNEST P. CHAN is the managing member of QTS Capital Management, LLC, a commodity pool operator and trading advisor since 2011. An alumnus of Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse, he received his PhD in physics from Cornell University, and was a researcher in machine learning at IBM's T. J. Watson Research Center before joining the financial industry. He is the author of Quantitative Trading and Algorithmic Trading. Find out more about Ernie at www.epchan.com.

Following up on his widely popular algorithmic trading guides, Quantitative Trading and Algorithmic Trading, this third installment is written for quant traders and investors ready for more advanced examinations and techniques. Machine Trading is your accessible companion for the state-of-the-art of algo-trading in today's complex markets.

Don't worry if you lack trading and finance experience—if you've worked in a quantitative field, such as computer science, engineering, or physics, this step-by-step resource makes the transition into algorithmic trading seamless. It starts out with a comprehensive look at the latest backtesting and trading platforms, the best- rated and most cost-effective vendors' data, and the easiest way to optimize allocations in different assets and strategies. Acquire a firm grasp on options and volatility strategies; factor models, and why they can be useful to short-term traders; and the intricacies of intraday and high-frequency trading, including market microstructure, dark pools, order flow, and backtesting intraday strategies with tick data. There are no canned solutions inside—each prototype trading strategy provides a rock solid foundation for you to customize.

Hone your skillset on topics such as:

• Using factor models for long-term returns and short-term trades, including using option prices as factors
• Real-world trading with time series techniques, including ARIMA, VAR, and State Space Models with hidden variables
• Cutting-edge techniques to reduce outfitting in artificial intelligence and machine learning strategies

Every chapter includes hands-on exercises walking you through the critical modifications to make on your own to gain control of the strategies and discover their potential. From stocks to futures and options, foreign exchange, and bitcoins, Machine Trading is your one-stop training ground for finding algo-trading solutions.