Product Review: Straticator Brings Simplicity to the World of Algo-Trading

Straticator, a recently developed Trading Platform , comes with a heap of functionality for trading in the financial markets. The platform aims to empower private investors with the freedom and skill to trade and profit from the markets. The platform is also the latest portal to join the marketplace and comes with a range of capabilities and the normal standard features expected in a platform.

Straticator fills a crucial gap in the way semi-professional traders can accelerate their usage of automated trading

Its distinct charm is its extensive algorithmic trading solution for trading professionals and ‘wannabe’ traders regardless of their knowledge and experience of markets and technology. Straticator joins the congested platform space for margin derivatives and brings a new wave of sophisticated trading strategies for users, the key difference being its focus on simplifying the way traders build and implement advanced strategies using automated and algorithmic systems. The platform was designed by one of Scandinavia’s best known ‘Fintech ’ professionals, Erik Nielsen, an entrepreneur who set up a technology firm in the 1980s. Consequently, the technologist later sold one of his inventions, Axapta, to Microsoft as MS Dynamix. The Straticator project came to light in 2009, according to Mr Nielsen’s LinkedIn profile with a group of tech-enthusiasts working on the project.

Main Features

• -The platform is a web based GUI, with mobile apps (iOS, Android and Windows Phone) -Advanced charting with multiple indicators inbuilt -Multi-order types (trailing stop loss, triggered orders) -Algorithmic trading module (build your own trading robots) -Spot FX and CFDs (commodities, indices) -Single stock CFDs (currently we are live with Nordic and other European stocks) -Trade in either Lots or notional volume -API/FIX trading available

Look & Feel

After floating around the platform, it’s clear that the functionality is geared towards users that have some prior knowledge of trading platforms. The solution has been designed in an efficient manner with usability being a component of the look and feel of the platform, traders can easily manoeuvre between screens and access functions, whether it’s the pricing screen, charting package or reports. However, the developers can work on enhancing the layout so that users who want a one-size-fits-all with all functions one screen can do so. Although an interesting feature is the pricing cascade, for active traders several pricing widows’ are present where default settings can be applied for traders looking to get quickly in and out of the market. At the same time, for traders who wish to place advanced, sophisticated orders, a simple click on the top right of the price window opens up a detailed order screen, thus allowing the trader to add risk profiles through stop loss and profit takes. Furthermore, trailing stops are available either side of the order. The charting package is built into the platform and comes with both standard and advanced technicals.

The Algo Route

The platform offers traders the ability to develop their own automated trading strategies; these can be fully systematic or monitored by the client to add a level of discretion. The algo-wizard is simple and relativity straightforward for novice traders to understand. Traders will be able to search through a wide list of ready-made solutions with descriptions about how they trade. A spokesperson for Abshire-Smith, a broker that offers the platform commented, “I see the automated trading as a popular arena for FX trading, which previously has been seen as an area solely for IT specialists.”

Building Future Quants

Financial markets’ trading has evolved in tandem with technological developments. From the first generation trading platforms developed in the 90’s, the latest devices in the market have embraced functionality that means platforms are considerably faster, more efficient and easy to upgrade. Straticator fills a crucial gap in the way semi-professional traders can accelerate their usage of automated trading through the algorithmic strategy creator and use complex methods to enhance their core strategy. Overall, the platform is simple and easy to operate but can stretch a traders ability through the advanced functions, whether it’s from a charting or indicator perspective to the extensive reports available, the platform can cater to the needs of experienced and emerging traders and the added-value of algorithmic capabilities differentiates the platform from its competitors.