Experienced traders recognize the consequences of global changes on Foreign Exchange (Forex/FX) markets, stock markets and futures markets. Factors such as for instance interest rate decisions, inflation, retail sales, unemployment, industrial productions, consumer confidence surveys, business sentiment surveys, trade balance and manufacturing surveys affect currency movement. While traders could monitor these details manually using traditional news sources, profiting from automated or algorithmic trading utilizing low latency news feeds is an often more predictable and effective trading method that will increase profitability while reducing risk.
The faster a trader can receive economic news, analyze the data, make decisions, apply risk management models and execute trades, the more profitable they are able to become. Automated traders are generally more successful than manual traders because the automation will work with a tested rules-based trading strategy that employs money management and risk management techniques. The strategy will process trends, analyze data and execute trades faster than a human without emotion. In order to make the most of the reduced latency news feeds it is vital to truly have the right low latency news feed provider, have a proper trading strategy and the proper network infrastructure to ensure the fastest possible latency to the headlines source in order to beat your competition on order entries and fills or execution.
How Do Low Latency News Feeds Work?
Low latency news feeds provide key economic data to sophisticated market participants for whom speed is a top priority. As the rest of the world receives economic news through aggregated news feeds, bureau services or mass media such as for instance news the websites, radio or television low latency news traders rely on lightning fast delivery of key economic releases. These generally include jobs figures, inflation data, and manufacturing indexes, directly from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Commerce Department, and the Treasury Press Room in a machine-readable feed that is optimized for algorithmic traders.
One way of controlling the release of news is an embargo. After the embargo is lifted for news event, reporters enter the release data into electronic format which can be immediately distributed in a proprietary binary format. The information is sent over private networks to many distribution points near various large cities round the world. In order to receive the headlines data as quickly that you can, it is vital that a trader work with a valid low latency news provider that’s invested heavily in technology infrastructure. Embargoed data is requested by way of a source never to be published before a particular date and time or unless certain conditions have now been met. The media is given advanced notice in order to prepare for the release.
News agencies likewise have reporters in sealed Government press rooms during a precise lock-up period. Lock-up data periods simply regulate the release of all news data so that every news outlet releases it simultaneously. This can be carried out in two ways: “Finger push” and “Switch Release” are accustomed to regulate the release.
News feeds feature economic and corporate news that influence trading activity worldwide. Economic indicators are accustomed to facilitate trading decisions. The news headlines is fed into an algorithm that parses, consolidates, analyzes and makes trading recommendations in relation to the news. The algorithms can filter the headlines, produce indicators and help traders make split-second decisions in order to avoid substantial losses.
Automated software trading programs enable faster trading decisions. Decisions manufactured in microseconds may mean a significant edge in the market.
News is a great indicator of the volatility of a market and if you trade the headlines, opportunities will present themselves. Traders have a tendency to overreact whenever a news report is released, and under-react if you have almost no news. Machine readable news provides historical data through archives that enable traders to back test price movements against specific economic indicators.
Each country releases important economic news during certain times of the day. Advanced traders analyze and execute trades almost instantaneously when the announcement is made. Instantaneous analysis is created possible through automated trading with low latency news feed. Automated trading can play an integral part of a trader’s risk management and loss avoidance strategy. With automated trading, historical back tests and algorithms are utilized to pick optimal entry and exit points.
Traders have to know when the data is likely to be released to learn when to monitor the market. For instance, important economic data in the United States is released between 8:30 AM and 10:00 AM EST. Canada releases information between 7:00 AM and 8:30 AM. Since currencies span the globe, traders may always find a market that is open and ready for trading.
Where Do You Put Your Servers? Important Geographic Locations for algorithmic trading Strategies
Nearly all investors that trade the headlines seek to possess their algorithmic trading platforms hosted as close that you can to news source and the execution venue as possible. General distribution locations for low latency news feed providers include globally: New York, Washington DC, Chicago and London.
The best locations to put your servers are in well-connected datacenters that permit you to directly connect your network or servers to the actually news feed source and execution venue. There has to be a balance of distance and latency between both. You have to be close enough to the headlines in order to act upon the releases however, close enough to the broker or exchange to really get your order in in front of the masses looking for the best fill.
Low Latency News Feed Providers
Thomson Reuters uses proprietary, state of the art technology to make a low latency news feed. The news headlines feed was created especially for applications and is machine readable. Streaming XML broadcast is employed to produce full text and metadata to make sure that investors never miss an event.
Another Thomson Reuters news feed features macro-economic events, natural disasters and violence in the country. An analysis of the headlines is released. Morgan Harvey Once the category reaches a threshold, the investor’s trading and risk management system is notified to trigger an entry or exit point from the market. Thomson Reuters has a unique edge on global news compared to other providers being one of the very respected business news agencies on earth or even the most respected outside of the United States. They’ve the advantage of including global Reuters News to their feed as well as third-party newswires and Economic data for the United States and Europe. The University of Michigan Survey of Consumers report is also another major news event and releases data twice monthly. Thomson Reuters has exclusive media rights to The University of Michigan data.
Other low latency news providers include: Need certainly to Know News, Dow Jones News and Rapidata which we shall discuss further if they make information regarding their services more available.
Types of News Affecting the Markets
A news feed may indicate an alteration in the unemployment rate. For the sake of the scenario, unemployment rates will show a positive change. Historical analysis may reveal that the change isn’t because of seasonal effects. News feeds reveal that buyer confidence is increasing due the reduction in unemployment rates. Reports provide a powerful indication that the unemployment rate will remain low.
With this specific information, analysis may indicate that traders should short the USD. The algorithm may determine that the USD/JPY pair would yield the most profits. An automatic trade will be executed when the target is reached, and the trade is likely to be on auto-pilot until completion.
The dollar could continue steadily to fall despite reports of unemployment improvement provided from the headlines feed. Investors must remember that multiple factors affect the movement of the United States Dollar. The unemployment rate may drop, but the overall economy may not improve. If larger investors do not change their perception of the dollar, then the dollar may continue steadily to fall.
The big players will typically make their decisions just before all the retail or smaller traders. Big player decisions may affect the marketplace in surprise way. If your decision is created on only information from the unemployment, the assumption is likely to be incorrect. Non-directional bias assumes that any major news about a nation will generate a trading opportunity. Directional-bias trading accounts for many possible economic indicators including responses from major market players.
Trading The News – The Bottom Line
News moves the markets and if you trade the headlines, you can capitalize. You will find not many people that will argue against that fact. There is undoubtedly that the trader receiving news data in front of the curve gets the edge on obtaining a solid short-term trade on momentum trade in a variety of markets whether FX, Equities or Futures. The expense of low latency infrastructure has dropped within the last few years making it possible to subscribe to a low latency news feed and receive the data from the foundation giving a significant edge over traders watching television, the Internet, radio or standard news feeds. In a market driven by large banks and hedge funds, low latency news feeds certainly provide the big company edge to even individual traders