Updated SG & HK Prop Trading Firms

Added to SG: Equity Capital, Global Macro Capital, WTL Capital

Added to HK: Kokomo Capital, Nautilus Capital, Pulsar Trading Capital, UTR8

Removed from SG: Schneider Trading, Solitaire Asset Management

Developing Trading Tools and Trading, C#/.NET/ Python/Java, SQL, API/REST/FIX, Excel

Having a recent bout of focus on further development of my personal trading toolset, and talking to a couple of contacts, I realized that while huge strides have been made on the tools available these days to the lone trader/developer from C#/.NET/Python, async and multi-threading, REST/FIX APIs, enterprise grade SQL databases. The total available number and permutations of programming languages, frameworks, libraries, techniques are getting very hard for a single trader/developer to handle all of them seriously and competently these days. To add to that is the consideration of the speed and pace of development to bring the toolset to fruition.

Becoming A Successful Trader And Investor

During the course of various jobs and the people that I have interacted with. When it comes to trading and investing, a great majority expressed interest (presumably for the money). However, a great majority of those never took the next step.

Trading and investing appeals to a certain type of character and personality, similiar to some people who are attracted to certain hobbies or interests like cycling, soccer, basketball or traveling.

Market Feels Greyish

If you are a close observer of the markets, you would have noticed a significant shift in market sentiment from the start of the year verses last year. There are several fresh factors which are impacting the markets this year:

1) The Fed interest rate increase have started and anticipated to continue through the rest of 2018. This will raise the cost of expansion for businesses and impose a drag on growth.

How To Protect My Portfolio From Market Volatility?

Market followers and traders will no doubt be very aware of the recent patch of market volatility. The massive up and down movements in the stock indexes and VIX (the latter causing the crash of the inverse volatility ETN XIV). How does one go about protecting a portfolio from the market volatility?

Updated Interactive Brokers Servers Ping Tests

Latest updated ping tests to various IB servers. They have new servers up in China.

Interactive Brokers Servers Ping Tests

Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway 13-F Q4 2017

Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway released its 13-F a couple days ago. The market pounced the revelation of the reduced IBM holdings and increase in Apple and TEVA Pharmaceuticals.

 A closer look also showed an increase in bank stocks holdings, US Bancorp and Bank of New York Mellon. The reduction in Wells Fargo holdings is small and could be due to the recent scandals surrounding the bank. Overall, perhaps it is a sign of confidence in the rising interest rate environment which will boost bank earnings.

Updated Screeners

Been over a year since the last update. Removed Google Finance, added Investing.com.

Insider trading has been rife on Wall Street, academics conclude

TL:DR Billions in real life. Which will you choose: Fear or money?

Side note: Nice TV series, give it a go if you are the trading type. Advance warning on mature content.

SGX-Bursa Malaysia stock trading link to improve liquidity in both markets

SGX announces yet another attempt at cross border exchange linking. Recall there was already several previous failed efforts in this area, yet they still persist. I predict it will be another cash and resource burn that will be quietly canned some years down the road. Not so much as the idea, but the lack of talent within SGX to make things work and the glacial pace of changes .

Updated SG Brokers

Added FSM One, Charles Schwab bought over OptionsXpress, China Galaxy Securities bought over 50% of CIMB Securities Singapore, GK Goh exits brokerage scene completely.

Fair amount of changes in the brokerage scene recently. Some Malaysian financial institutions (Maybank, RHB, CIMB, AM Bank) seems to be retreating from the local brokerage scene after an acquisition stint a few years back. Added a new 'History' column which tracks the changes in the brokerages over the years. If you have more information to add on the history of the brokerage scene, drop us a message.

Updated SG & HK Prop Trading Firms

Added Mako.