Simultaneous Long & Short trades on different instruments from the same strategy

[newuser]

Is it possible to have the same strategy place long and short trades simultaneously but on different instruments? I've tried doing some testing and it doesn't appear to work...I couldn't find anything in the forum or manual to suggest that it is possible.

If it's not possible could you also then confirm that the only way to place simultaneous long & short trades on different instruments would be using different strategies i.e. one strategy for long trades and one strategy for short trades?

Thanks.

[NinjaTrader_JoshG]

Hello newuser,
Thanks for your post.

You can submit an order to any BarsInProgress that was added to the script by using the entry order method overload that contains barsInProgressIndex.

EnterLong(int barsInProgressIndex, int quantity, string signalName)

https://ninjatrader.com/support/helpGuides/nt7/?advanced_order_handling.htm

[newuser]

Thanks for the prompt reply. I can place the trades using EnterLong and EnterShort with the three overloads as per your reply but as soon as I try to place stop and limit orders (using SetStopLoss and SetProfitTarget) the strategy runs to error. It closes out my trades and disables the strategy. I took a screenshot of the error message for reference (the strategy is just called 'Blank' FYI)

Is there a way I can set a stop and target order once the trades are open without causing the strategy to crash? I was using signal names to try link the stop/profit orders to their respective entry orders but the strategy still crashed.

[bltdavid]

Is there a way I can set a stop and target order once the trades are open without causing the strategy to crash?

Are your stop loss and profit target values static?
Why not call SetStopLoss and SetProfitTarget in Initialize, before the trade is opened?

EDIT:
Carefully read the "Definition" section for these code functions. Note how the first bullet
suggests calling these functions just once, inside Initialize (although I suspect OnStartUp
will work equally well). Are you able to try that?

https://ninjatrader.com/support/helpGuides/nt7/?setstoploss.htm

https://ninjatrader.com/support/helpGuides/nt7/?setprofittarget.htm

[newuser]

The stop and profit target values are not static so I can't set them in Initialize()

But even if the stop and target were static I'm not sure that would help. It appears as though NT7 thinks the stop/profit on the buy order conflict with/somehow apply to the sell order (and viceversa), even though the long and short trades are on different instruments and they have unique signal names ("buy"+Instrument.Fullname and "sell"+Instrument.Fullname)

[newuser]

But even if the stop and target were static I'm not sure that would help.

Disregard the comments in my second paragraph above. I did a test using a static stop & profit set in Initialize() and you are right - it allows simultaneous long & short trades in different instruments from the same strategy. Only problem is...I don't use a static stop. There has to be a way to make this work...surely...

[NinjaTrader_JoshG]

newuser,

You would submit your dynamic stop loss to another instrument just like you would submit one to the primary instrument. Simply tie the orders together by signal name.

Can you show us some code that demonstrates what you are doing? Also if you prefer, you can send me the script through email.

[newuser]

Yeah...I realized I made a mistake in my code. I had a plus instead of a minus(!) so that's why the stop/target orders were giving me grief. <slaps hand on forehead> Never mind!!