Multiple strategies, one instrument, one IB account

[joesandyego]

Hi,
I have read many posts regarding how to handle the situation where you are starting multiple strategies that operate on a single instrument and the fact that the last strategy to be enabled (assuming all had sync account/strategy position selected) will determine the market position. E.g. if the last enabled strategy said go Flat then the instrument would go flat in the account even if the other strategies said go Long. I also read that the only way to avoid this is to either have each strategy operate in a separate account or control each strategy manually at start-up instead of using the synchronize feature. So I am hoping to get specific instructions about these two options (assuming that these are the correct two options for this scenario).

1) Multiple accounts: I am running live on a single NT/IB license and a single IB account. So would I need a different NT license? How do I set up multiple accounts in IB (that feed from one pool of cash ... I would prefer not to spread my cash into multiple IB accounts)?

2) Manual entry: If I have Tools>Options>Strategies>NinjaScript>Immediately submit live.... enabled AND Synchronize accounts disabled AND I enter all positions manually in the NT Order tab (that are supposed to be open now according to the strategies historical trades) AND then I start/enable my strategies, will the strategies then know to manage the manually entered orders? E.g.: Please assume that I placed a manual order to Buy 500 shares of InstrumentX (StrategyA was 100 Long and Strategy B was 400 Long in historical trades). Lets say it is a week after all strategies were enabled and StrategyA needs 100 shares of the manually entered InstrumentX Long order to go Flat. Will Strategy A place a Sell order for 100 shares (even though it did not place a live trade order for the 100L shares)? Will it leave the remaining 400L shares of InstrumentX alone? I think that this is the case via my testing, but I want to make absolutely sure.

Thanks

[NinjaTrader_AdamP]

joesandyego,

I am happy to assist you.

1) You would need to contact IB about this. You can create multiple sim accounts but IB controls how many live accounts you would have access to in NT.

2) Strategies currently can only manage trades they place themselves. There is no supported way of managing manual orders.

Please let me know if I may assist further.

[joesandyego]

Hi Adam,
I seem to be continuously confused about this (as can be witnessed by my posts)...

Let us say that I did not place any orders manually. I wish to enable two strategies, StrategyA and StrategyB, that operate on the same instrument, InstrumentX. Both strategies are in a historical trade when I enable them (StrategyA is 100L and StrategyB is 400L).

Then if I setup as follows: Tools>Options>Strategies>NinjaScript>Immediately submit live.... enabled AND Synchronize account/strategy disabled AND then I start/enable my strategies

Is this what happens:

1) When I enable the strategies, they do not place trades, but they do show that they are in historical trades in the NT Strategy tab - they are both Green with 100L and 400L shown in their respective Positons column. The Positions tab shows no open positions.
2) One week later, StrategyA gets a signal to go Flat (Sell 100 shares of InstrumentX). Will it place a LIVE ORDER to Sell 100 shares of InstrumentX? In this case the Strategy tab would show empty in the Positon column for StrategyA and the Position tab would only show 100S of InstrumentX. The Executions tab would show Sell 100 shares of InstrumentX.

Thanks

[joesandyego]

Hi Adam,
In my last post, please also assume that the order to Sell 100 shares of InstrumentX could come from a SetStopLoss hit, ExitLong, or any other NinjaScript mechanism to exit a Long order. I am not sure that this matters, but I wanted to clarify.
Thanks

[NinjaTrader_AdamP]

joesandyego,

To clarify this setting "Immediately submit live working historical orders". This does not mean that all strategies place orders right away. It means that should you start the strategy while it's in a historically position, it does not have to wait until flat before submitting orders. So the first exit signal that comes up would be submitted.

Using the managed approach on the same account will cause strategies to be long/short however many cumulative units they are in a position. So if you have one strategy long 500 shares, and the other long 100 shares, you are long 600 shares.

Its generally advised to use 1 strategy per instrument per account.