Spreadbetting futures & charting

[BadgerMatt]

Hi - this is my first post, and hope you don't mind me posting what is probably a very basic question.

I have been paper trading for a while now based on fibonacci levels. I had planned to put this into practice with spreadbetting and so have opened an account with Finspreads.

However, I'm now a bit stumped. I didn't realise that most of the bets on offer are actually futures prices (I've never really paid attention to futures). I have been working out my entry and exit points based on charts of particular indices and stocks, but find that for most of them I can only bet on the future prices. I now can't work out how to marry the two together, or even whether it is possible to do so at all.

The major indices such as the Dow and FTSE have daily cash and rolling cash prices which seem to reflect the underlying charts so I guess I am OK betting on these. but surely if I am to bet on the futures, I need to do my analysis based on a chart of the futures prices.

Or am I missing something here?

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

 

[the blades]

Hi - this is my first post, and hope you don't mind me posting what is probably a very basic question.

I have been paper trading for a while now based on fibonacci levels. I had planned to put this into practice with spreadbetting and so have opened an account with Finspreads.

However, I'm now a bit stumped. I didn't realise that most of the bets on offer are actually futures prices (I've never really paid attention to futures). I have been working out my entry and exit points based on charts of particular indices and stocks, but find that for most of them I can only bet on the future prices. I now can't work out how to marry the two together, or even whether it is possible to do so at all.

The major indices such as the Dow and FTSE have daily cash and rolling cash prices which seem to reflect the underlying charts so I guess I am OK betting on these. but surely if I am to bet on the futures, I need to do my analysis based on a chart of the futures prices.

Or am I missing something here?

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

Hi Badger,

Be careful - the Index daily prices are derived from the futures prices also, for the indeces. If you have a mechanical system, test it out on futures data.

The share prices are directly lined to the price of the share, plust carry charge and SB spread, which is predictable.

Cheers,
UTB

 

[BadgerMatt]

Hi Badger,

Be careful - the Index daily prices are derived from the futures prices also, for the indeces. If you have a mechanical system, test it out on futures data.

The share prices are directly lined to the price of the share, plust carry charge and SB spread, which is predictable.

Cheers,
UTB

Blades,

Thanks very much for your feedback. I guess that for indices, I should be doing my analysis based on futures data.
Does anyone know any where I can get hold of good reliable futures charts which I can use to draw my own lines etc on?(preferably free)

Many thanks again

 

[john_simpson11]

Hi Badger, there are many data providers of futures prices but I have not come across any that are free…yet! I am not sure if they do exist but some good data providers include ‘esignal.’ It depends if you check prices constantly during the day or just once a day. If once a day, you can find futures prices via Bloomberg on cable/satellite TV but getting hold of futures charts is difficult to find!