GETTING STARTED in PROPRIETARY TRADING. A guide to global trading with Propex Derivatives GUY BOWER

Transcription

1 GETTING STARTED in PROPRIETARY TRADING A guide t glbal trading with Prpex Derivatives GUY BOWER

2 Cntents 1. Our Style f Prprietary Trading 2. The Harsh Reality 3. What Makes a Gd Trader? 4. Befre Applying with Us 5. The Prpex Online Simulatin Prgram 6. Mving Frward 7. Trainee Trader FAQs Disclaimer Trading invlves high risks, with ptential fr prfits as well as substantial lsses and is nt suitable fr all persns. N infrmatin in this dcument r related material shuld be cnsidered advice r any kind. Prpex suggest yu seek advice frm an independent investment prfessinal as t the suitability f trading fr yur persnal needs. Prpex Derivatives Pty Ltd. Level 4, 299 Elizabeth Street, Sydney NSW Prpex Derivatives Pty Ltd (Prpex) is a Prprietary Full Participant f the Sydney Futures Exchange.

3 Let's start with a qualifying statement: Prpex is nt a brker r educatr. We d nt ffer trading accunts, seminars r brking services. We are traders. Think f Prpex as prviding the infrastructure t full-time and prfessinal traders. S when it cmes t answering the questin f hw t get started in trading, ur answer might be a little different frm thers. Our answer des nt include taking shrt cuts r making ut like yu can d this in 20 minutes per day. Our Style f Prprietary Trading Depending n wh yu ask, there are different definitins fr the term 'prprietary' trading. In sme circles, it refers t large banks taking the ther side f ver-the-cunter rders fr their custmers. It als refers t strict market making activities. It can als refer t all thse suppsedly evil algrithms r 'bts' we keep reading abut. There is anther type f prprietary trader, smetimes called the 'click trader'. It simply refers t traders that watch the screen and click int trades manually (as ppsed t autmated strategies). Prpex traders are click traders. Our style f trading is a natural prgressin fr smene that has develped r is develping their wn style f active intraday trading. The Harsh Reality Trading fr a living is nt easy. Frget what a lt f thse bks tell yu. They present a picture where if yu use the right indicatr r the right pattern, things will fall int

4 place. They are designed t sell bks, nt make yu a trader. The same can be said fr thse expensive seminars. The truth is trading is nt easy. At best, it is an incredible test f yur patience, tenacity, will and character. If yu are ging t trade fr a living, this is what is ahead f yu. Any bk, curse r simulatr prgram is never ging t have all f the answers. This site is nt ging t give yu the answers. Every trader needs t find their wn answers and it means every trader is different. At Prpex, we have built a culture f supprt, guidance and pen cmmunicatin. Everything a 'trainee trader' ges thrugh, ur senir traders and managers have als been thrugh. At the end f the day yu and yu alne are respnsible fr yur P&L. Hwever, we encurage and supprt pen cmmunicatin between all. It wuld have t be the best place fr a trainee t learn. What Makes a Gd Trader? Des it require natural in-built skill r can it be taught? This debate is an ld ne. It was the basic cncept behind the 'Turtle Traders' (lk it up) and n a lighter nte, the mvie Trading Places. It's a hard questin t answer. Our view (if pushed) is t agree with bth sides f the argument. Perhaps it's similar t what makes a great athlete. Peple talk abut Michael Jrdan's natural ability, but he has still spent thusands f hurs practicing. Cllectively, the management at Prpex have trained and wrked with hundreds f traders. We d nt have a magic frmula fr predicting wh is ging t sht the lights ut, unfrtunately. Hwever, we can say that with ur experience there are a few basic patterns that put the dds in the trader's favur. These things tp the list: Time. There is a direct and bvius crrelatin between the amunt f time yu spend in frnt f the screens and yur success. We call it "screen time". One f ur senir traders was recently talking with sme f ur in-huse trainees and said smething interesting. He said "If yu are ging t be successful, yu have t be willing t give up sleep. What is mre imprtant sleep r success?" That is spt n advice. The nly way yu will learn hw t trade is t be prepared t put in the time. Flexibility. It's nw time t set aside many f the things yu may have read in that latest bk n trading systems. Als set aside what yu may have learnt trading Frex. Be pen. Our initial training invlves the use f a trading simulatr. This is the place t try new trading strategies. It is the place t challenge yurself t d smething new. A trader cannt be afraid t make mistakes as lng as the prcess becmes ne f learning.

5 Strng will. When yu are learning t trade yu will make mistakes. It will happen. Yu will d silly things like add t a terrible psitin, freeze when yu shuld act r cancel yur stps because "the market was wrng". Everyne trader has made these mistakes. The trick is t take a tp dwn view f what yu are ding and learn frm the mistakes. There is n pint letting it bruise yur eg r upset yu. The jb is t learn nt t be right all the time. If yu apprach trading with that philsphy then yu can advance. Befre Applying with Us Let's assume yu are interested in trading. Yu've read a few bks here and there, tried yur skills n a dem accunt and even had a gd friend that tells yu hw easy it all is. Unfrtunately, this alne des nt put yu in a psitin where yu are ready t trade prfessinally. We take n trainees all the time and anyne is invited t use ur site t apply nline. But first, keep in mind we turn away a lt f applicants given they are a little green. We see plenty f cver letters stating this is what they really want t d with their lives. We als want t see evidence t back up these kinds f statements. Thanks t the internet, there are a plenty f places yu can build yur knwledge and experience. A Ggle search fr "futures trading" returns ver 8 millin results. Ging thrugh all f thse might take a little time and guaranteed there is prbably a lt f junk there t. With that in mind we have a shrt list f recmmendatins fr any new trader. These are nt prerequisites fr applying with us. They are simply suggestins. Read 'One Gd Trade' by Mike Bellafire. This is a bk written by the manager f a prprietary trading firm in the US. Fr many it's an eye pener fr thse really wanting t trade fr a living. Have a lk at ur nline curse at This is a paid curse that includes everything we have taught many f ur trainees. It is 100% relevant t ur way f trading. Dwnlad the N BS Day Trading ebk and vide - This is a great intrductin t click trading and trading withut charts. If yu are new t trading, the vide will cnfuse yu the first time. Watch it a few times and wait fr that 'ahhh' mment. Spend sme time ging thrugh the Chicag Mercantile Exchange website. They have a massive amunt f educatinal material. In fact, we rank it as the best site

6 n futures. Simulated trading. If yu are nt already trading yur wn futures accunt, spend sme time n a simulatr. Get t knw the 'depth' display and experiment by trading a few different markets, time znes and styles. The CME site has a dwnladable simulatr trial. A Ggle search will help yu find a few mre. The Prpex Online Simulatin Prgram Prpex have develped a new simulatin prgram that invlves extensive nline appraisal f trainee trader applicants. The prgram invlves: Week 1: Drills Week. Here yu wrk thrugh a series f trading drills r exercises. Yu will need a minimum f several hurs per day t be actively invlved. The mre time yu can dedicate t these drills the better. The rules f each drill are very simple, but mst (if nt all) walk away frm the week learning quite a lt abut active trading and scalping. Weeks 2-4: This perid may include mre drills and exercises, but fr the mst part these weeks are abut yu t finding yur trading style. During this perid we lk fr imprvements in cnsistency, fcus, risk cntrl and prfitability. We will track P&L and trading style. Mnth 2+: Thse shwing prmise n the simulatr will be invited in t ur Sydney, Singapre r Gld Cast ffice. Being in-huse will invlve sme further simulatin time f up t 4 weeks. Over this time, we'd like t see healthy activity, cnsistency and a bias twards prfitability in yur chsen markets. Being inhuse als ffers yu mentring frm ur traders and mentrs. After this trial perid, yu may be ffered a full time trading psitin with us. Selected applicants receive access t a member's nly site where guidance, instructin and training is received. Hwever it shuld be stressed, the interactin here is limited. This is nt a 'training' curse. The prcess is designed fr thse that are ready t demnstrate their trading skills t us and be selected fr an in-huse psitin. We expect applicants t have sme degree f trading experience and knwledge, althugh nt falling under the 'experienced trader' categry. We are lking fr trainees with sme experience.

7 Mving Frward Our prgram shuld be seen as the beginning f a trading career. Upn successful cmpletin f the prgram, traders will be funded with a live accunt. Live traders are expected t be lcated in ne f ur ffices Sydney, Gld Cast r Singapre. Remuneratin is by way f prfit share. Within ur ffices, we prvide traders with the best facilities and supprt netwrk t build their trading careers. Our management team has decades f experience in all facets f the futures industry and have been funding successful traders fr many years. T apply nline, please fllw the link frm ur website. But first, keep reading Trainee Trader FAQs Please read the fllwing befre applying with us. Q: Wh is Prpex? Prpex Derivatives is an Australian wed prprietary trading firm with ffices in Sydney, Gld Cast and Singapre. The cmpany hlds an AFSL and is a member f the Sydney Futures Exchange. Our management has many decades f cmbined trading and market experience. Prpex currently funds the trading f ver 60 traders.

8 Q: Wh runs the training? Mark Zagra. Mark has been a prfessinal trader fr 14 years. He has been invlved in training traders fr the past 7 years and ver that time has trained clse t 100 prfessinal traders. He is a Partner at Prpex and plays an active daily rle in the caching and mentring f traders. Guy Bwer. Guy has clse t 20yrs financial market experience including active funds management, brking and training. He is the Manager f Recruitment and Training at Prpex as well as an nging mentr t traders. He is als an authr f several trading related bks alng with all training material at Prpex. Q: Hw much des training cst? We have an nline training curse that is prvided fr a fee ( Hwever thse we select as Trainee Traders d nt pay fr any training. Likewise, trainee traders d nt receive a salary while they are being trained. It shuld be nted, we are nt here simply t train peple and see them mve n. Our gal in training is t see peple trade fr Prpex. Yu shuld nly apply t Prpex if yu intend n trading with us full time. Q: Are there prerequisites fr applying? Yes. Re-read this bklet and if yu have any questins, please ask. Q: Once trading with Prpex, hw much mney d I get t trade? Trainee Traders are given generus cntract limits in the market(s) they trade. These limits are cntinually increased in line with the trader's success. Q: Hw am I paid? All traders at Prpex are paid by way f a generus prfit share. That is, they earn a share f the prfit they generate frm their wn trading. In a way, trading is like being in business fr yurself where Prpex prvides training, infrastructure and funding. As yur trading grws yu are given a greater percentage share. As fr dwnside, ur traders are nt asked t pay fr any lsses. Q: Am I expected t cver lsses? N. We wear the lss unless yu trade utside f yur cntractual terms (eg. breaking stp lss limits r trading while intxicated). Frtunately this has nt happened t date.

9 Q: Hw much can I make? The answer is different fr everyne. Sme trainees may well shw early prmise, but fail t fllw thrugh with a cnsistent and prfitable apprach. Others can d well frm the utset. T ffer even an average figure wuld be misleading. Suffice t say, it ranges frm zer upwards. As a general rule, it can take 6-12 mnths t build cnsistency, discipline and a prfitable apprach t the markets. All trainees shuld be prepared fr this. Q: Can I trade live frm hme? Fr trainees, n at least initially. We have many experienced traders that trade frm hme, s in time this may be a pssibility. Q: What is in the training? Successful candidates are trained in all aspects f shrt-term trading including fundamental analysis, technical analysis and market psychlgy. Training is cnducted by way f classrm mentring and in-depth simulatr exercises in live market cnditins. Q: What markets can I trade? We are futures traders and the whle wrld f futures is pen t yu. Initially the training will be restricted t certain markets, but in time it is expected that yu expand int additinal markets. Q: Hw d I apply? Links All applicatins must be submitted thrugh ur nline frm n the Prpex website. Prpex main website: Prpex training site: Cntact Guy Bwer Training Manager [email protected]