Ensign: Simulation Broker

Right mouse click on a chart to display a pop-up menu for the chart.   Click on the menu entry for Sim-Broker to show the simulated order entry form.  This simulation broker can also be used real-time to track trades for any symbol.  Sim-Broker tracks trades for the chart that opened the Sim-Broker form.

Market Order
In the Order frame, select Buy or Sell, then select an order Type.  The Type can be a market order, limit price, stop or stop and reverse.  The trade quantity can be entered.   Simulated stock trades might use a quantity of 100-200 etc.  For the DEMO symbol, use 1 or 2, or the quantity you would usually trade for ES or NQ.

The next box is where Price is entered, followed by the Submit button.  For practice, select the Buy bullet, Market bullet, with a quantity of 1.  Then click Submit button.  In so doing a time stamped transaction is posted in the log.  It will read:   Buy 1 @ Market.  Shortly thereafter a fill is received back with a time stamp and fill price.

This will initiate a position shown in the Summary frame.  Further to the right the current price is shown.  The next line in the summary shows the profit/loss for this open position.  Under trades is shown the accumulation of all trades made using Sim-Broker and the total profit loss for all trades.

Underneath the summary window is an edit box where the commission for a round trip trade is entered.  A typical commission is ten dollars.  Next to Commission is a box to select a marker.  When a marker is selected the fill prices for buys and sells will be marked on the chart.  Sell markers are shown in red and Buy markers are shown in green..  The chart also shows the stops and limit buys/sells with short horizontal lines.

A position is closed out by buying or selling the opposite side of the position.  After completing a round trip the Position Summary will show Flat, and a horizontal break line will be posted to the transaction log.

Limit Order
Pending limit orders and stops are shown in the pending frame with a price by the checked box.  To enter a limit buy, select Buy and Limit.  The Price window will show a static number that was the current price when the order Type was changed to Limit.  You can use the spinner arrow that is part of the Price box to increment or decrement the price.  Click the Submit button to post a message to the transaction log:  Buy 1 @ .........   The Pending frame will show a check mark by the word Buy and then a price.

If the market goes lower and touches the Limit Buy price, the check in the Buy checkbox will be removed.  A message will post in the transaction log:  Bought 1 @  and the fill price.  Use the buy/sell Limit order to place orders where you want to buy or sell.. Limit buys will be below the current price.  Limit sells will be above the current price.

Stop Orders
Likewise, stops can be used to go long or short.  Select Buy or Sell, and market type would be Stop.  The stop also needs a price.  Buy stops are placed higher than current price and will be shown on the chart with a short horizontal green line by the price scale.  The Buy Stop BS checkbox in the pending section will become checked and show the stop price.  Stops are easily adjusted by submitting the stop order again using a new price.  The location of the alert line will be adjusted to the new stop price.  A later stop cancels the earlier stop.

Cancel Order
The items that show in the pending frame can be canceled by unchecking the box.  A buy stop is canceled by clicking the BS checkbox.  This removes the stop and the entry made to the transaction log will show   xx BS 1 @ ......   The  xx  in the log entry means 'canceled'.

Stop and Reverse
SAR is a stop and reverse.   If long, enter a SAR at a lower price to go short.  If the SAR price is touched, then the long position will be liquidated and reversed short the number in the Quantity box.  If position is long 5, and a SAR with Quantity 1, it will then sell six, five to go flat and 1 to go short.  SAR can be put on either side of the current price.

Auto Scalp
Enter a positive value in the Auto Scalp box to have Sim-Broker automatically place a Buy Limit or a Sell Limit order when an order if filled.   The scalp distance is the Auto Scalp value.  For example, if Auto Scalp is 2.00, and the Buy order if filled at  1190.00, a Sell Limit order will be placed automatically at 1192.00.

Auto Stop
Enter a positive value in the Auto Stop box to have Sim-Broker automatically place a Buy Stop or a Sell Stop when an order is filled.   The stop distance is the Auto Stop value.   For example, if Auto Stop is 1.00, and the Buy order is filled at 1190.00, the Sell Stop order will be placed at 1189.00.

Reset Button
The Reset button will clear the summary and transaction log.  Another characteristic is that Sim-Broker is doing a lot of math and tracking trades, and the form needs to be open.  The form can be minimized but not closed.  Sim-Broker will not work if closed.   Multiple Sim-Broker forms can be open simultaneously to track different symbols.

This article discusses an Ensign Windows feature to trade paper trades with a simulated order entry form.  With a DEMO chart displayed, click the right mouse button on the chart to display a pop-up menu for the chart.   Click on the menu entry for Sim-Broker to show the simulated order entry form.  This simulation broker can also be used real-time to track trades for any symbol.  Sim-Broker tracks trades for the chart that opened the Sim-Broker form.

In the Order frame, select Buy or Sell, then select an order Type.  The Type can be a market order, limit price, stop or stop and reverse.  The trade quantity can be entered.   Simulated stock trades might use a quantity of 100-200 etc.  For the DEMO symbol, use 1 or 2, or the quantity you would usually trade for ES or NQ.

The next box is where Price is entered, followed by the Submit button.  For practice, select the Buy bullet, Market bullet, with a quantity of 1.  Then click Submit button.  In so doing a time stamped transaction is posted in the log.  It will read:   Buy 1 @ Market.  Shortly thereafter a fill is received back with a time stamp and fill price.

This will initiate a position shown in the Summary frame.  The illustration shows Short with Qty of 4 and the fill price. Further to the right the current price is shown.  The next line in the summary shows the profit/loss for this open position.  Under trades is shown the accumulation of all trades made using Sim-Broker and the total profit loss for all trades.

Underneath the summary window is an edit box where the commission for a round trip trade is entered.  A typical commission is ten dollars.  Next to that is a box labeled Arrows.  When checked the fill prices for buys and sells will be marked on the chart with arrows.  Red arrows mark sells, and green arrows mark the buys.  The chart also shows the stops and limit buys/sells with short horizontal lines.

A position is closed out by buying or selling the opposite side of the position.  After completing a round trip the Position Summary will show Flat, and a horizontal break line will be posted to the transaction log.

Pending limit orders and stops are shown in the pending frame with a price by the checked box.  To enter a limit buy, select Buy and Limit.  The Price window will show a static number that was the current price when the order Type was changed to Limit.  You can use the spinner arrow that is part of the Price box to increment or decrement the price.  Click the Submit button to post a message to the transaction log:  Buy 1 @ .........   The Pending frame will show a check mark by the word Buy and then a price.

If the market goes lower and touches the Limit Buy price, the check in the Buy checkbox will be removed.  A message will post in the transaction log:  Bought 1 @  and the fill price.  Use the buy/sell Limit order to place orders where you want to buy or sell.. Limit buys will be below the current price.  Limit sells will be above the current price.

Likewise, stops can be used to go long or short.  Select Buy or Sell, and market type would be Stop.  The stop also needs a price.  Buy stops are placed higher than current price and will be shown on the chart with a short horizontal green line by the price scale.  The Buy Stop BS checkbox in the pending section will become checked and show the stop price.  Stops are easily adjusted by submitting the stop order again using a new price.  The location of the alert line will be adjusted to the new stop price.  A later stop cancels the earlier stop.

The items that show in the pending frame can be canceled by unchecking the box.  A buy stop is canceled by clicking the BS checkbox.  This removes the stop and the entry made to the transaction log will show   xx BS 1 @ ......   The  xx  in the log entry means 'canceled'.

SAR is a stop and reverse.   If long, enter a SAR at a lower price to go short.  If the SAR price is touched, then the long position will be liquidated and reversed short the number in the Quantity box.  If position is long 5, and a SAR with Quantity 1, it will then sell six, five to go flat and 1 to go short.  SAR can be put on either side of the current price.

The Reset button will clear the summary and transaction log.  Another characteristic is that Sim-Broker is doing a lot of math and tracking trades, and the form needs to be open.  The form can be minimized but not closed.  Sim-Broker will not work if closed.   Multiple Sim-Broker forms can be open simultaneously to track different symbols.