Quantitative Trading How to Build Your Own Algorithmic Trading Business Wiley Trading
Quantitative Trading How to Build Your Own Algorithmic Trading Business Wiley Trading
While institutional traders continue to implement quantitative (or algorithmic) trading, many independent traders have wondered if they can still challenge powerful industry professionals at their own game? The answer is “yes,” and in Quantitative Trading, Dr. Ernest Chan, a respected independent trader and consultant, will show you how. Whether you’re an independent “retail” trader looking to start your own quantitative trading business or an individual who aspires to work as a quantitative trader at a major financial institution, this practical guide contains the information you need to succeed.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Excellent book for private investors
I just finished reading the book and I really like it. Yes there are more technical books and some topics could have been covered more in detail. But overall the book is a really nice start for someone who is contemplating to do his/her own trading. What I especially like is the message: You don’t need large investments to start trading neither do you need extensive programming or modeling skills.
2 Stars Somo interesting insights…
… but too shallow. Most of the content is just common sense, and most of the technical part, including Matlab and Excel code, of little use. Nevertheless, it gives you a blueprint of important things to take into account when going into Algorithmic Trading.
4 Stars A good road map of the issues to consider
This book lays out a road map for an independent trader to follow if they want to establish themselves as a home based quantitative trader. Whilst the title contains the words quantitative and algorithmic, it isn’t heavy with high level mathematics or concepts. Instead key issues are covered in a straightforward easy to read manner.
What makes the book work is Dr Chan’s personal insights from his career and experiences are intertwined throughout the topics. This leaves the reader with a great deal of confidence in his suggested approach. Most of the issues in the book are covered at a basic to intermediate level – certainly enough for you to be able to go and do further research and to know what the key issues are and what to look out for.
Criticisms – maybe the focus on Matlab, though he does recommend some cheaper clone packages that may run his example code with minor modifications.
This is a practical book. There’s no pop trading psychology (though there is a psychology chapter), nor does it give you a system or rely on strategies that aren’t generally available to the retail trader.
Being quantitative, strategies where discussed tend to be mean reversion or momentum based. Technical analysis isn’t used as a driver for strategies. Ideas for potential quantitative strategies are discussed, but readers looking for up and running systems will need to look elsewhere.
Instead, Quantitative Trading shows the procedure for taking a strategy, combining it with correct test techniques, good execution tools and position management, and from that forming the basis for a genuinely successful home based quantitative operation.
Anyone who trades would benefit from this book as many of its discussed issues, techniques, tips and traps are universal to any trader.
