Saturday, January 5, 2013

Correlation Within Trading

Recently, the account was found to have two trades and a higher than alloted amount of capital with a high correlation. Puts were bought for FXA and calls were bought for UUP. The basis of the trades were the same, with expectation of a stronger dollar in the future. But making both trades was not the correct way to go and left the account in more danger than it should have been. Not surprisingly, the market took care of the mistake as the FXA trade moved into Code Red territory and the position was sold for a loss.

Finding the right correlation between trades is extremely important. Having a high correlation between many trades is a waste of capital as commissions will eat into profits. It can also leave you vulnerable to big moves in the opposite direction. Be sure to recognize and regularly review your trades' correlation levels when trading. If there is a high correlation between trades, be sure you understand why that added correlation risk is being taken on. If you do, then great. But if you don't, take action to remedy the situation.

**Disclaimer** - This is just trade and or futures options information. It is not a recommendation to buy or sell any of the securities mentioned in this blog. Do your Due Diligence before any trading or investing. 

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