Trading The US Markets

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Jacket text for Trading The US Markets

Expand your trading horizons

Trading The US Markets is your guide to the complex and fascinating world of US exchanges and products. As the biggest capital market in the world, and with the
largest number of financial products and listed companies, it offers unparalleled trading opportunities to the keen investor and trader.

In part one of this book, experienced trader Paolo Pezzutti describes the various markets' histories and individual characteristics, as well as their shared advantages such as:

- Quick and easy access
- An extensive range of tradable instruments
- Direct trading through a local broker
- Low commissions and fees
- Well-regarded regulation
- The greatest access to financial information available on the web
- A high standard of customer support from brokers
- A favourable time difference

In part two he goes on to discuss the mechanics of choosing a broker, opening an account in the US and the various sources of financial information that are available.

Part three covers the actual nitty-gritty of trading; everything from slippage to stop-losses, and is packed with handy tips and real life case studies to help you become a better, more successful, and confident trader.

Trading the US Markets is an essential part of any serious trader's arsenal - providing you with the resources you need to make those vital decisions about where, what, when and how to trade.

Chapter headings for Trading The US Markets

Preface
Introduction: Why Trade In The US Markets

PART I: Basics - Overview of the US Markets

Exchanges
- Background of US stock markets (NYSE, Nasdaq, Amex CBOE, COMEX, CBOT, NYMEX, CME exchanges)
- Other markets: regionals, bulletin board stocks, ECN trading
- Dealer vs. order-driven auction markets, electronic vs. floor trading

Products
- Stocks
- Mutual funds, closed-end funds, hedge funds
- ETFs
- ADRS
- IPOs
- Futures (characteristics, open interest, calendar, etc,)
- Options
- Single stock futures

Markets Characteristics
- Flow of information, customer reach, speed of execution, transparency, anonymity and market integrity
- -Market Hours
- After-hours trading
- Settlement prices
- Liquidity
- Volatility


PART II: Mechanics - Brokers, Accounts and Information Sources

Brokers
- Brokers
- Direct access trading vs. online trading, vs. traditional broker directed trading
- Software Platforms

Your Account
- Legal requirements
- Tax
- Commissions, fees (exchange, NFA)
- Funding your account (check, wire transfer, etc.)
- Online access to your account
- Margin, Balances
- The daily statement
- Risks: trading risks, Broker default, currency risk, fraud

Sources of Information
- Web sites
- Magazines
- Data services (real time, delayed, historical databases, etc.)
- News services


PART III: Trading

- Your first trade in practice
- Orders and Order Properties
- Bid/Ask Spreads
- Stop loss
- The trading day, characteristics of trading during opening, mid session, and close
- Making the time difference work for you
- Trading systems
- Automated trading, program trading

Appendices

- Exchanges
- Brokers
- Software Platforms
- Software Developers
- Data providers

Glossary
Bibliography
Index

About Paolo Pezzutti

Paolo Pezzutti has been active in the financial markets for over 20 years and is currently based in America. He has his own trading blog at short-termtrading.blogspot.com, and contributes to other websites including Working Money, Advantage.com, Daily Speculations and Seeking Alpha. He also writes for various magazines including Technical Analysis of Stocks And Commodities, Traders', and The Traders' Journal.

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