[pcabc]

Regarding US stocks, what's your preferred method? I'm thinking spread bets are probably easiest?

This is a good question which I have been struggling with for a while.  I've a SIPP with Hargreaves Lansdown with has forex fees of 1%, on buying and selling and an ISA with Interactive Investor which has 1.5% each way.  I've not put it in a spreadsheet lately, but I must be loosing around 5% per trade with the latter given forex fees, slippage, spread etc.

This seems to have ground my account down unless the market breadth is really strong.  However, I'm doing the best I have ever done in my ISA at present despite this - but this may be a fluke.  I'm looking to move my ISA to Trading212 as they don't have charges.  However, with my ISA doing the best it has ever done right now I'm going to stay as I am for the immediate future.

The other point to look for is available order types (for US stocks).  HL only has market and fill or kill orders for US stocks.  So no stop losses and the fill or kill is a buy limit order that is closed if it is not filled on market open.  This makes it difficult to get in at a good price, especially if a stock has just broken out.  II only has buy limit orders - but I find those ensure that I either get in at the right price or not at all, which works better for me.  II also has stop losses.

I have tried a demo spreadbet account, but not tried a real one.  I've tried running it based on a quite modest amount of cash, an amount that I would like to start with,  However, if using proper position sizing based on risk I find the account is too small to open many of the positions I would like.  This is interesting, as it seems like if you control risk carefully works against the leverage.  Of course the temptation is to push the limits you have set yourself, and with things being volatile I don't feel like going for a leaveraged account right now.

[XTR]

Regarding US stocks, what's your preferred method? I'm thinking spread bets are probably easiest?

This is a good question which I have been struggling with for a while.  I've a SIPP with Hargreaves Lansdown with has forex fees of 1%, on buying and selling and an ISA with Interactive Investor which has 1.5% each way.  I've not put it in a spreadsheet lately, but I must be loosing around 5% per trade with the latter given forex fees, slippage, spread etc.

This seems to have ground my account down unless the market breadth is really strong.  However, I'm doing the best I have ever done in my ISA at present despite this - but this may be a fluke.  I'm looking to move my ISA to Trading212 as they don't have charges.  However, with my ISA doing the best it has ever done right now I'm going to stay as I am for the immediate future.

The other point to look for is available order types (for US stocks).  HL only has market and fill or kill orders for US stocks.  So no stop losses and the fill or kill is a buy limit order that is closed if it is not filled on market open.  This makes it difficult to get in at a good price, especially if a stock has just broken out.  II only has buy limit orders - but I find those ensure that I either get in at the right price or not at all, which works better for me.  II also has stop losses.

I have tried a demo spreadbet account, but not tried a real one.  I've tried running it based on a quite modest amount of cash, an amount that I would like to start with,  However, if using proper position sizing based on risk I find the account is too small to open many of the positions I would like.  This is interesting, as it seems like if you control risk carefully works against the leverage.  Of course the temptation is to push the limits you have set yourself, and with things being volatile I don't feel like going for a leaveraged account right now.

The reason I like spread bets (IG) is that there is no tax due and unlike an ISA, no charges. Yes there is an increased spread which is how IG (and the no fee ISA platforms) make their money, but their bid/ask is usually pretty good and occasionally better than that offered by my (HL) ISA account. I find that the extra spread is more or less equal to the ISA fees and commissions. The other main benefit with spread bets is the option for guaranteed stop losses and trailing stop losses.

[pcabc]

The reason I like spread bets (IG) is that there is no tax due and unlike an ISA, no charges. Yes there is an increased spread which is how IG (and the no fee ISA platforms) make their money, but their bid/ask is usually pretty good and occasionally better than that offered by my (HL) ISA account. I find that the extra spread is more or less equal to the ISA fees and commissions. The other main benefit with spread bets is the option for guaranteed stop losses and trailing stop losses.

I have my dummy account with IG.  At some point I will go for a real account with them.  However, I found that with my dummy account, I was trying to notionally keep the account size too small for many trades and also that I was trying to track my DC pension, ISA, SIPP and the demo spread bet - too much to keep track of.  I've change strategy with the DC pension and to some extent the SIPP so I could try it again as I am actively trying to juggle fewer accounts.  Also I'm trying to only trade when I the market breadth is really strong on multiple time frames and trade less in general - something which seems to have worked well lately.

[XTR]

I use sharepad at the moment, and would be interested in trying to sort a market breadth indicator out with anyone interested.  Or at least sector strength.

This is the package I'm considering as I'm told it can chart UK Sectors. I assume from your question that market breadth indicators are not included in SharePad's default library, do you know if it's possible to configure new indicators? 

Other systems I've seen are ShareScope and Updata, both look very comprehensive but are more than I want to spend. Another reason to stay with browser based systems is that I use Linux machines and installation software usually requires Windows or Mac environments.

I like the idea of developing my own charts like pcabc does, but I'd still need to source the feeds and I'm not sure I could commit the time and dedication to make it worthwhile.

You can do simple formulas to compare two items in sharepad, but it is not programmable as such.  Isnt there also a problem with a Uk Market sector breadth as they do not contain as many shares as the US version?

Market breadth can get complex and there are 500+ page books on the subject. SW's 'Weight of the Evidence' approach used over 50 indicators, but as you say, UK indices are thinner than US markets, however, that is where the UK stocks are traded and there is still value in plotting basic information like: highs/lows, advancers/decliners, % above/below MA etc. to get a feel for market internals, especially as this information is readily available and in may cases free. 

I'd like to have a go at maintaining my own index charts for say FTSE 100, 250, 350, AIM markets and as long as it doesn't turn into too much of a chore, would be a good accompaniment to SharePad.

Any questions on Sharepad let me know and I will try not help. I have filters set up for above MA's, %change since 52 week low & high, and strength relative to indices. %

gjjh25, 

I'm on a three month trial with SharePad and struggling a bit, can you give me any pointers on screening for Stage 1& 2 stocks? 
I'm not as impressed with it as I hoped I would be but that might just be because it's new and I'm used to my usual subscription (Stockopedia). SharePad definitely has more data though so I'm persevering with it and maybe I'll like it more as I get better at using it.

Ian

[gjjh25]

This is the package I'm considering as I'm told it can chart UK Sectors. I assume from your question that market breadth indicators are not included in SharePad's default library, do you know if it's possible to configure new indicators? 

Other systems I've seen are ShareScope and Updata, both look very comprehensive but are more than I want to spend. Another reason to stay with browser based systems is that I use Linux machines and installation software usually requires Windows or Mac environments.

I like the idea of developing my own charts like pcabc does, but I'd still need to source the feeds and I'm not sure I could commit the time and dedication to make it worthwhile.

You can do simple formulas to compare two items in sharepad, but it is not programmable as such.  Isnt there also a problem with a Uk Market sector breadth as they do not contain as many shares as the US version?

Market breadth can get complex and there are 500+ page books on the subject. SW's 'Weight of the Evidence' approach used over 50 indicators, but as you say, UK indices are thinner than US markets, however, that is where the UK stocks are traded and there is still value in plotting basic information like: highs/lows, advancers/decliners, % above/below MA etc. to get a feel for market internals, especially as this information is readily available and in may cases free. 

I'd like to have a go at maintaining my own index charts for say FTSE 100, 250, 350, AIM markets and as long as it doesn't turn into too much of a chore, would be a good accompaniment to SharePad.

Any questions on Sharepad let me know and I will try not help. I have filters set up for above MA's, %change since 52 week low & high, and strength relative to indices. %

gjjh25, 

I'm on a three month trial with SharePad and struggling a bit, can you give me any pointers on screening for Stage 1& 2 stocks? 
I'm not as impressed with it as I hoped I would be but that might just be because it's new and I'm used to my usual subscription (Stockopedia). SharePad definitely has more data though so I'm persevering with it and maybe I'll like it more as I get better at using it.

Ian

Hi ian,

I will sort some screenshots out for you in the coming week of some filters.

[XTR]

You can do simple formulas to compare two items in sharepad, but it is not programmable as such.  Isnt there also a problem with a Uk Market sector breadth as they do not contain as many shares as the US version?

Market breadth can get complex and there are 500+ page books on the subject. SW's 'Weight of the Evidence' approach used over 50 indicators, but as you say, UK indices are thinner than US markets, however, that is where the UK stocks are traded and there is still value in plotting basic information like: highs/lows, advancers/decliners, % above/below MA etc. to get a feel for market internals, especially as this information is readily available and in may cases free. 

I'd like to have a go at maintaining my own index charts for say FTSE 100, 250, 350, AIM markets and as long as it doesn't turn into too much of a chore, would be a good accompaniment to SharePad.

Any questions on Sharepad let me know and I will try not help. I have filters set up for above MA's, %change since 52 week low & high, and strength relative to indices. %

gjjh25, 

I'm on a three month trial with SharePad and struggling a bit, can you give me any pointers on screening for Stage 1& 2 stocks? 
I'm not as impressed with it as I hoped I would be but that might just be because it's new and I'm used to my usual subscription (Stockopedia). SharePad definitely has more data though so I'm persevering with it and maybe I'll like it more as I get better at using it.

Ian

Hi ian,

I will sort some screenshots out for you in the coming week of some filters.

Thanks mate that'd be great. I'll go through the SharePad tutorials and YT vids in more detail, although there is so much to get through, it'll take me a few weeks.

[gjjh25]

Market breadth can get complex and there are 500+ page books on the subject. SW's 'Weight of the Evidence' approach used over 50 indicators, but as you say, UK indices are thinner than US markets, however, that is where the UK stocks are traded and there is still value in plotting basic information like: highs/lows, advancers/decliners, % above/below MA etc. to get a feel for market internals, especially as this information is readily available and in may cases free. 

I'd like to have a go at maintaining my own index charts for say FTSE 100, 250, 350, AIM markets and as long as it doesn't turn into too much of a chore, would be a good accompaniment to SharePad.

Any questions on Sharepad let me know and I will try not help. I have filters set up for above MA's, %change since 52 week low & high, and strength relative to indices. %

gjjh25, 

I'm on a three month trial with SharePad and struggling a bit, can you give me any pointers on screening for Stage 1& 2 stocks? 
I'm not as impressed with it as I hoped I would be but that might just be because it's new and I'm used to my usual subscription (Stockopedia). SharePad definitely has more data though so I'm persevering with it and maybe I'll like it more as I get better at using it.

Ian

Hi ian,

I will sort some screenshots out for you in the coming week of some filters.

Thanks mate that'd be great. I'll go through the SharePad tutorials and YT vids in more detail, although there is so much to get through, it'll take me a few weeks.

In fact can you give me an example of a search you are after, it may be easier?

[XTR]

I typically screen for momentum and a few fundamentals, examples below (X, Y & Z are variables):

Volume X Days/Volume Y Days > Z%
Avg Volume > X% Shares Outstanding
Absolute Price Change X Days > Y%
Price vs Moving Average X Days > Y%
Relative Strength X Sector > Y%
Bid Ask Spread < X BPS
Price/Pre-Tax Earnings <20
Net Debt < Operating Profit times X

Don't spend too much time on this, any help gratefully received.

Also, does anyone here use this screener? https://screener.nextbigtrade.com/#/sectors/FTSE If so, do we know what filters are used to create it and how reliable it is?

Ian