Setup: Symbol Properties

Select Set-Up | Symbol Properties from the menu to view the Symbol Properties set-up window.  This window is used to specify the market hours, time zone, trading exchange, price format, chart scaling, and futures month codes for specific symbols.  Market hours for Day Session and Evening Sessions can be specified.

A list of Symbols and Market Groups are listed.  To edit the settings for a symbol, use the scroll bar on the right side of the list box to scroll down and select a particular symbol.  Enter a symbol in the Add Symbol edit box to add a symbol to the list.  Click the Delete button to remove a selected symbol from the list.

Market:  The Market drop-down list is used to specify the Market Group for a symbol.  For example, if the symbol is a Futures Market symbol, then select 'Future'.  Use the following table to select an appropriate Market.

Exchange:  The Exchange drop-down list is used to specify the trading exchange for the symbol. These entries are only used by the Interactive Brokers version of Ensign Windows.  Refer to the Interactive Brokers Symbol Guide if you have a question regarding which exchange a symbol is traded on.  

When the Exchange entry is blank, Ensign Windows uses built in defaults.  The Exchange entry when specified overrides the Ensign default, and would only be needed when Ensign Windows does not have a built in default.  The Interactive Brokers version also needs a Currency for their symbols.  Use the Currency drop down box to select the currency, such as USD for U.S. Dollars.

Zone:  The Zone box is used to specify the Time Zone that is used for the market hours for the specified symbol.  For example, select 'Central' time zone for a Futures Market symbol that trades on the Chicago Board of Trade, then enter Central Times for the Day Session and Evening Session Trading hours.  A symbol that trades in London could have 'London' selected for the time zone, with local London times entered for the open and close hours.

Sync:  Sync is the time that intra-day chart bars will synchronize to.  Example, a sync time of 7:20 will cause a 30-minute chart to build and sync bars at 7:20, 7:50, 8:20, 8:50, etc.  The sync time is usually the same as the day session opening time.  Enter the times in military format.  For example, enter 15:00 instead of 3:00 pm.

Day Session Open and Close Times:  Enter the time range that an intra-day chart will collect data and build bars during the day.  If a symbol thinks that the market is closed, then the intra-day charts will not update.  Enter an opening time of 00:00 and a closing time of 24:00 if a particular market symbol is always open, and use Eastern zone.

Day Session Only Check Box:  The state of this check box initializes a chart's Day Session Only property when a new chart is opened.   Place a check in this box to specify that intra-day charts will not include the evening session trades.  A chart whose Day Session Only property is checked will show only the day session trading (even though evening session open and close times are entered).  When a chart is showing, press CTRL-P to show the chart's property form, where its private Day Session Only property box can be checked or unchecked.

Evening Session Open and Close Times:  Some markets have additional trading sessions in the evening or night.  Intra-day charts will collect bars during these trading sessions if open and close times are entered to span the extended market hours.  Delete the times in these two boxes to disable chart collection for evening sessions.  Note: Day session open and close times must always be entered if evening session times are entered (even if a symbol does not trade during the day).

On Friday's, intra-day charts will only update during the Day Session market hours.   On Sunday's, intra-day charts will only update during the Evening Session market hours.

Price Format:  Select from the drop-down list the digit format that should be used to display a price quote for a specific symbol.  For example, a symbol price of 1.3256 should have a price format of #.####.   The Quotes selection is used for displaying the symbol prices on quote pages.  The Options selection is used for displaying the option prices on quote pages.  US bond futures would use the 32nds selection and US bond options would use the 64ths selection.

Specify the chart price scaling for the symbol or market group.  Not all symbols trade in dollars and pennies (decimal).  Some trade in 8ths, 32nd, and 64ths, etc.  If necessary, change the price scaling for a symbol so that it will chart correctly.

Tick and $ / Tick:  These 2 boxes work together to convert a symbol's price to a dollar value.  Pick a convenient tick size, and enter the dollar value for the selected tick size.  These values will then be used to calculate appropriate trading result calculations.  For example, the ES e-mini future could be entered as Tick = 1.00 and $/Tick = 50.00, or it could be entered as Tick = 0.25 and $/Tick = 12.50.

Minimum Grid:  Enter a price amount for the minimum Chart grid line distance.  For example, a value of 0.25 would be appropriate for a symbol that trades in quarter point increments.

Months:  Specify the Futures Contract months that are traded by a particular Futures symbol.  For example, HMUZ would indicate that a market has March, June, September, and December contracts. The following is a list of the 12 futures month codes: F=Jan, G=Feb, H=Mar, J=Apr, K=May, M=Jun, N=Jul, Q=Aug, U=Sep, V=Oct, X=Nov, Z=Dec. 

Roll Day:  This entry is used to specify the exact day that a Futures continuation symbol should roll-over from the current contract into the next specified contract month.  Ensign Windows generally rolls-over continuation symbols on the 1st day of the month prior to expiration.  The roll day can be changed if necessary.   The Months and Roll Day are used to convert a continuation symbol like ES #F for the Ensign Internet version to a specific contract month like ES U4.

Default Market Group Entry:  All symbols that are not specifically entered in the Symbol Properties list will use the market hours and scale that are associated with their Market Group.  The market group entries begin with the '@' character in the market hours list.  Do not remove the market group entries from the market hours list.  For example, the default open and close times for all Canadian stocks (@CANADIAN) are 09:30 and 16:00 Eastern time.