Spreadbettors' prices versus the actual market

moreliver

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Help me out here someone, please.

I'm looking at a price for International Power (LSE:IPR) closed at 330 today.

A spreadbet firm quotes a June 10 contract for IPR at 312-314.

Why the huge discrepancy? And how do you play it?
 
unless im missing something thats not possible. if then market is 6pts above the price then sell and buy back the futures for 6pt less. I must be missreqding what you say
 
moreliver

I think you are comparing apples and pears.

A June futures price will not bear much relation to current price, although it will gradually work towards it as the expiry date approaches.If you look for the March futures quote it will be much closer to the current market price since we are nearing expiry date. So, if you buy/sell a June contract, it is the movement in the price of that contract you'll be looking at not the current market price. For that you'll need to look for the "rolling" quote from your SB and that will be close to the market price.

good trading

jon
 
As Barjon says the discrpancy is because youre comparing the current market price to the spreadbetter guess at the price in June.

Usually the major cause of a big discrpancy in the prices will be a dividend due between now and then.

In this case it looks like a divididend is due on 2 June so thats probably the reason.
 
As Barjon says the discrpancy is because youre comparing the current market price to the spreadbetter guess at the price in June.

Usually the major cause of a big discrpancy in the prices will be a dividend due between now and then.

In this case it looks like a divididend is due on 2 June so thats probably the reason.

You are forgetting to factor in the risk-free interest rate between now and then too,, this will currenty have the effect of lowering the future price.
 
Thabks for that guys. Let's assume I don't want to play the rolling contract. I'm guessing this means I have to do my technical analysis from the spreadbettor's site to correctly identify entries and exits, yes?
 
Which spread betting firm are you using? I have a quote for a June contract at 328.66 / 331.29.

As others have pointed out in the thread, the farther the expiry date is, the farther the quotes will be from the current market price, based on the calculations of the spread betting firm. Or, the wider the spread will be.

In any case, 312-314 seems like a huge miscalculation for me, given IPR is clearly in an uptrend.
 
Finspreads. May the uptrend continue, though in future I'll be setting entries and exits from the firm's charts, not my software.

On the plus side, I had a position on already and my traling stoploss has me in profit. Aw!(y)
 
Do your analysis based on prices from your SB. They can quote 3p if they so wish.
 
a bit of advice on futures pricing of equities

SB companies never try to 'guess' or analyse the future price of an equity

the calculation for the mid point of the future price is quite clear... variations on the following

current price (CP)
'Limean' ([LIBID+LIBOR]/2) = interest rate between now and expiry (L)
Days to go (D)
Ex-Dividend dates between now and expiry and amount of expected dividend (V)

Mid Price should be approximately
CP+(CPxDxL/36500)-V

the interest rate component will ADD to the future price not detract from it

if your SB firm price is outside this then their price may be wrong and may be 'arbable'

BUT, be warned, several of the SB companies now only take the divvy out of the price on the actual ex-div date so there may be discrepecies between variuos companies. Check your SB company's policy.

also most SB companies will have a clause in their contract which enables them to cancel your trade or amend the entry price if they have made an error in the calculation. The most obvious error is that a dealer has put the wrong expected dividend in the formula.

the dividend is the only bit of the calculation that is 'fluid' as the SB companies cannot know in advance what a company will actually declare. most of the time they just take last years as a starting point

this said the price that u mention quoted seems wrong if the divvy is really just 8p but i would be surprised if the actual exact divvy was known for sure already (maybe they are expecting a bigger dividend)...the 2nd june is still 3 mths away

simon
 
<< ....most SB companies will have a clause in their contract which enables them to cancel your trade or amend the entry price if they have made an error in the calculation. The most obvious error is that a dealer has put the wrong expected dividend in the formula. >>

It's a shame we're liable for your mistakes and not vice versa.
 
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