Hi Traders:
Following Fraz’s inquiry about some differences in broker’s performance, I answered him with this rather long-winded explanation.
I thought that Forum traders would like to read it:
"I checked your page and saw the couple of large losses on EurChf and EurAud. These 2 pairs are notorious with brokers that push up spreads during the scalping hours to get rid of scalpers.
Different spreads will lead to different fills and different results.
Different fills can even affect performance between 2 accounts with the same broker!
This is normal since they are actually buying and selling us currency contracts, it’s not just a number, like it is in a Demo account (hence the difference in performance between Demos and Live accounts)
Once two accounts are off sync, the results may vary for the rest of the day.
This happens in all kinds of trading: If, for example, we both put a buy order for a stock, at the same time and with the same broker, we are also going to get slightly different fills. That’s trading, buying and selling at a price that changes constantly.
In the case of Forex, and particularly of scalping, which is rather high frequency trading, that may happen relatively often.
You may get into a trade that I did not get into, because the market reversed at just that point.
From that moment on, our two accounts are out of sync.
[U]If we are with the same broker[/U] this may happen because I did not get filled and the EA’s signal went away on the reversal, sort of missed the chance for the trade. This often happens with variable spreads, like in ECN brokers. The funny thing is that occasionally you could actually benefit (even with worse spreads) because you are not hooked with that order. If the trading session ends, you will not enter more trades that day. So even though I got my order filled, I may be stuck with a losing position and you got spared: I may be facing a Stop Loss, which may account for the different results you are seeing.
[B]This is a rare case, since usually worse spreads mean worse performance overall.[/B]
[U]If you have a different broker[/U] who never had that price available, then you don’t get to place the order at all. This is how it works:
Let’s say that the price is 1.00000 and my broker has a 2 pips spread. My broker will sell at 1.00020 and my EA will be able to enter a “buy” order at that price. Your broker, who may have a 4 pips spread, will not even offer the chance to buy at my price: they will offer you a 1.00040 price, because of the higher 4 pips spread. Your EA won’t send that “buy” order because it does not want that price, since it is not a good “buy” according to the strategy. The EA would like to buy at 1.00020, but not 1.00040.
If the price reverses at that point, I am now in a trade and you are not. And so it begins.
If I am busy with my trade when you are not, you could enter a trade the next time a signal comes along, which may in opposite directions than mine.
If the price action remains normal and the price keeps bouncing up and down, both you and I will make money in time, even though we are out of sync. However, if the price takes off in one direction, your position may clear at a win and mine at a loss, or vice-versa. Luck of the draw, it could benefit you or me, but it will not be the same.
That’s Forex!
