Question re back-testing FTSE stocks on MT4

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Hi, 

I am new to MT4, I just want to get an idea if it is suitable for my purposes. I got a version of MT4 with my Oanda account (which I never use)

I am looking to back-test a swing trade methodology on FTSE 100 constituent stocks on D1 time-frame.

1. I gather I will be able to export data for the FTSE 100 stocks as well as the FTSE index itself, format the files and load into MT4 for back-testing?

2. Am I able to incorporate fixed fractional position sizing in the back-testing?

3. Is it possible for trades to be conditional on the direction of the main FTSE index? i.e. only take long trades in a stock when FTSE is making news highs and vice versa for shorts?

Thanks

 
Sardo_Numpsa:
Hi, 

I am new to MT4, I just want to get an idea if it is suitable for my purposes. I got a version of MT4 with my Oanda account (which I never use)

I am looking to back-test a swing trade methodology on FTSE 100 constituent stocks on D1 time-frame.

1. I gather I will be able to export data for the FTSE 100 stocks as well as the FTSE index itself, format the files and load into MT4 for back-testing?

2. Am I able to incorporate fixed fractional position sizing in the back-testing?

3. Is it possible for trades to be conditional on the direction of the main FTSE index? i.e. only take long trades in a stock when FTSE is making news highs and vice versa for shorts?

Thanks

1.  yes,  but you will need to find a Broker that offers the stocks and Index that you want to test with otherwise you will be missing some information such as the Spread, Min Lot,  Lot Step, Tick Size, etc

2.  yes,  you need to calculate your position size yourself though.

3.  yes assuming you have data for the FTSE index during the date range of the Strategy Test run. 

 
Thanks for the response, very helpful. 

1. Blast, thought it sounded too easy just using yahoo data. I am using a SB co/. currently as my broker. But then for D1 maybe I could just fudge that additional required information. 

2. The sort of position sizing I need to do would depend on the difference between the high and low of the most recent D1 candle and my % risk and therefore would have to be calculated for each trade on an individual basis, I take it from what you are saying this is not possible?

3. Awesome!

 
Sardo_Numpsa:
Thanks for the response, very helpful. 

1. Blast, thought it sounded too easy just using yahoo data. I am using a SB co/. currently as my broker. But then for D1 maybe I could just fudge that additional required information. 

2. The sort of position sizing I need to do would depend on the difference between the high and low of the most recent D1 candle and my % risk and therefore would have to be calculated for each trade on an individual basis, I take it from what you are saying this is not possible?

3. Awesome!

1.  if you know how to edit the Symbols.sel file then maybe you can fudge it,  I doubt it though . . .

2.  Yes of course it is possible . . . you can easily get the high and low of the last D1 candle,  iHigh(Symbol(), PERIOD_D1, 1)  similar for the low,  you know your %age risk and your account size so you can easily calculate your currency risk,  if you know the value of a point you can calculate your position size . . .

 
Cool thanks again
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