ASX Stock Pairs Trade Journal

skc · 30 July 2014

VSntchr said:
Having a very frustrating day attempting to set up PTF on my new laptop (windows 8).

I am trying to put a copy of PTF on Windows 8 as well. I basically followed their instruction email..

Step1 - download Microsoft's LocalDB
Step2 - install PTF

The program seem to run and register my product key without problems, but I have been unable to load any stock codes. When I go Create Group and add stocks, it shows "Error adding XYZ" everytime. The "internet connection" indicator on the bottom left starts off green, but goes red when the error message is displayed.

Any hints or help?

edman79 · 30 July 2014

skc said:
Any hints or help?

Do any exchanges work?
Have you tried adding ".AX"?
Try turning off your firewall/antivirus temporarily...

Just suggestions...

skc · 30 July 2014

edman79 said:
Do any exchanges work?
Have you tried adding ".AX"?
Try turning off your firewall/antivirus temporarily...

Just suggestions...

Thanks for the great suggestions... just tried them but none worked

VSntchr · 30 July 2014

skc said:
Any hints or help?

My suggestions are similar to those offered by Edman...nothing major I can think of other than to check the details groups you have created (which exchange etc) - which I am sure you already have..

My problems were to do with the database creation...so you've made it further than I have with the PTF/Win 8 debacle.

One thing I did notice is that ur running v3.22, I am on v3.04, not sure if that has something to do with it.

edman79 · 30 July 2014

skc said:
Thanks for the great suggestions... just tried them but none worked

One more, I haven't used windows 8 much but is there a "run as administrator" option when running the .exe?
Or in properties run in compatibility mode (a long shot)

In win7 sometimes the UAC (user account control) caused issues with rights etc.

notting · 30 July 2014

If your confident that the windows DB thing installed correctly then uninstall PTF and reboot and install again?

skc · 30 July 2014

VSntchr said:
One thing I did notice is that ur running v3.22, I am on v3.04, not sure if that has something to do with it.

PTF recently had a discount promotion so I bought another backup copy of the software for my Win8 laptop. I didn't even know that it had a v3.22 until I installed the program. They didn't really email existing users about the upgrade, and my desktop version is still v3.04.

The installation procedure for v3.22 is updated as well. May be you can download a trial of v3.22 and follow the newer install procedure to see if it works on your laptop?

I don't know what's worse... you can't create a database, or I can't populate my database with data!

edman79 said:
One more, I haven't used windows 8 much but is there a "run as administrator" option when running the .exe?
Or in properties run in compatibility mode (a long shot)

In win7 sometimes the UAC (user account control) caused issues with rights etc.

I am a bit of an idiot when it comes to Win 8 so I am not sure at all. One thing I will try tonight is to install a v3.22 onto a Win7 laptop and see if it works. That way at least I can isolate the problem to Win8 or the version of the software itself.

VSntchr · 30 July 2014

skc said:
That way at least I can isolate the problem to Win8 or the version of the software itself.

That's a good idea.

Downloading the trial now to get the latest version, however I think I might try install it an alternate Win 8 laptop - I don't want to install the new one and have that over-ride my old installation midweek...
Failing that I'll update it over the weekend and let you know how I go.

It's probably a good time to run into these sort of issues...I am starting to get very careful about taking trades with some reports already started and a fair few coming the first half of August...

skc · 30 July 2014

I just found that there's an error log produced by PTF.

This is what I am getting

System.FormatException: String was not recognized as a valid DateTime.
at System.DateTimeParse.Parse(String s, DateTimeFormatInfo dtfi, DateTimeStyles styles)
at System.DateTime.Parse(String s, IFormatProvider provider)
at PairTradeFinder.dataGrabber.GetStockItem(String code, Int64 portfolio)

.NET expert anyone? Is it the coding, the database or Win8??

VSntchr said:
That's a good idea.

Downloading the trial now to get the latest version, however I think I might try install it an alternate Win 8 laptop - I don't want to install the new one and have that over-ride my old installation midweek...
Failing that I'll update it over the weekend and let you know how I go.

It's probably a good time to run into these sort of issues...I am starting to get very careful about taking trades with some reports already started and a fair few coming the first half of August...

On one hand, I do like twice-a-year reporting season which means a good time for database maintenance, directional trading, holiday etc. On the other hand, there are times when you are trading well leading into reporting, but are forced to cease because of it.

qldfrog · 31 July 2014

do not own PTF or have any link with this program but the type of error points to either a wrongly entered date, or maybe a wrong default regional setting on your computer:
are you set as australian date format: dd/mm/yyyy or american mm/dd/yyyy?
If I were you, i would switch my setting for "Region and language" from one to the other and try again.
Hope it helps but as I said, just working from your error with no knowledge of the underlying code.

SilverRanger · 31 July 2014

qldfrog said:
do not own PTF or have any link with this program but the type of error points to either a wrongly entered date, or maybe a wrong default regional setting on your computer:
are you set as australian date format: dd/mm/yyyy or american mm/dd/yyyy?
If I were you, i would switch my setting for "Region and language" from one to the other and try again.
Hope it helps but as I said, just working from your error with no knowledge of the underlying code.

Or just bad coding and lack of testing in Windows 8, and qldfrog said, try change the "Region and language" format around, English (Australia) and English (United States) probably...and compare line by line with the default Win 7 format.

skc · 31 July 2014

qldfrog said:
do not own PTF or have any link with this program but the type of error points to either a wrongly entered date, or maybe a wrong default regional setting on your computer:
are you set as australian date format: dd/mm/yyyy or american mm/dd/yyyy?
If I were you, i would switch my setting for "Region and language" from one to the other and try again.
Hope it helps but as I said, just working from your error with no knowledge of the underlying code.

You are a LEGEND! I changed the setting the English (Australia) and the short date to d/M/yyyy and it loaded the codes just fine.

Thanks a million!!!

SilverRanger said:
Or just bad coding and lack of testing in Windows 8, and qldfrog said, try change the "Region and language" format around, English (Australia) and English (United States) probably...and compare line by line with the default Win 7 format.

Thanks!

VSntchr · 31 July 2014

skc said:
On one hand, I do like twice-a-year reporting season which means a good time for database maintenance, directional trading, holiday etc. On the other hand, there are times when you are trading well leading into reporting, but are forced to cease because of it.

Yep, I have had a pretty great month..
Although the good run feels like its starting to come to an end (APA short ), so perhaps reporting season is coming at a perfect time for me to sit back, review the previous month and prepare for September.

Funny that you say that reporting season could be a time for a Holiday - my partner seems to think that taking a 1 week trip to Singapore during a great trading run in July is the perfect time

skc said:
You are a LEGEND! I changed the setting the English (Australia) and the short date to d/M/yyyy and it loaded the codes just fine.

I know the feeling of finally getting PTF to work. The day I couldn't get it going I was soooo and then when Edman helped me get it going I was sooo

SilverRanger · 31 July 2014

VSntchr said:
I know the feeling of finally getting PTF to work. The day I couldn't get it going I was soooo and then when Edman helped me get it going I was sooo

Proud to be PTF free, surely you can't go wrong with Excel!

Yes July was a good month for me too, although I only get to say this in the final week

VSntchr · 8 August 2014

For those willing to side step reports (and hope that the trades revert quickly) today was a pretty opportunistic day. Especially this afternoon. Some heavy selling in the REITS, with sudden spikes down.

Was also some recoveries on the close too.

I like watching the market on days like today, it helps me get a good idea of what stocks are being accumulated. A couple of investments that I own didn't do too badly

skc · 8 August 2014

VSntchr said:
For those willing to side step reports (and hope that the trades revert quickly) today was a pretty opportunistic day. Especially this afternoon. Some heavy selling in the REITS, with sudden spikes down.

Was also some recoveries on the close too.

I like watching the market on days like today, it helps me get a good idea of what stocks are being accumulated. A couple of investments that I own didn't do too badly

Don't you just love it? We've had such low volatility forever... Now finally a reasonable bout of volatility which would have been great for doing pairs, yet it's the reporting season and no pairs trading for me.

Time to work on the directional trading I guess.

Re: Those REITs were so overbought... seriously. 5-5.5% yield, unfranked, with at best inflation type growth. It's like equity risk premium is zero. They should all trade at lending rate + 350bps yield imo.

SilverRanger · 8 August 2014

VSntchr said:
For those willing to side step reports (and hope that the trades revert quickly) today was a pretty opportunistic day. Especially this afternoon. Some heavy selling in the REITS, with sudden spikes down.

Was also some recoveries on the close too.

I like watching the market on days like today, it helps me get a good idea of what stocks are being accumulated. A couple of investments that I own didn't do too badly

Mostly in runoff mode for my existing pairs but still picked up BWP/IOF, AWE/OSH, FMG/Rio today, hoping to close them off next week.

Part of my fun lately is watching BLY, not trading it, but watching it jump up and down...

VSntchr · 14 August 2014

MGR is really tempting me for a pairs trade with this stellar non-stop 1 week run from 1.74 to 1.86....hmmm. Should probably switch off PTF during this period!

skc · 14 August 2014

VSntchr said:
MGR is really tempting me for a pairs trade with this stellar non-stop 1 week run from 1.74 to 1.86....hmmm. Should probably switch off PTF during this period!

I thought they were a bit cheap below $1.80 personally so...

BTW, SGP reporting on Monday always provides readthru to MGR...

SilverRanger · 15 August 2014

VSntchr said:
MGR is really tempting me for a pairs trade with this stellar non-stop 1 week run from 1.74 to 1.86....hmmm. Should probably switch off PTF during this period!

I didn't resist, got in with the week's underperformer, SCP. My tea leaf reading skill tells me there couldn't be too much excitement in MGR compared to likes of GPT and DXS, given its 60% asset share in the office sector, so hopefully safe to short before earnings...

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