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Backtesting software for options or source for intra-day SPX options data

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 Micah Wakefield, Director of Research and Product Development at Swan Global Investments

 Monday, June 15, 2015

Any recommendations of backtesting software for testing basic options strategies? Or, does anyone know of a source for intra-day data (every half hour) for SPX options?


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3 comments on article "Backtesting software for options or source for intra-day SPX options data"

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 Vitantonio L., Finance Process Analyst

 Tuesday, June 16, 2015



you can try Tradestation. It's broker and have a powerful platform


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 Richard Holowczak, Associate Professor / Director, Wasserman Trading Floor at Baruch College, CUNY

 Tuesday, June 16, 2015



We collect the full OPRA (US Equity options Level 1) feed which includes all trades and level 1 quotes including SPX. We can easily process these into OHLC bars with prevailing quotes, etc. Contact me if interested in learning more.


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 Larry Kase, Financial Analyst, Publisher QAInvestor.com

 Friday, June 26, 2015



Options trade strategies cannot be reliably back tested. Studies can be performed to develop strategies but the only test applicable is real time with real money. The primary impediment is order execution assumptions. Options trade slightly or significantly out of synch with the underlying. Spreads are a problem and mist orders assumed executed cannot be executed in reality. A concept can be assessed but back testing produces unreliable results. Studying Edward Thorp's hedging and arbitrage strategy and tactics stimulated the effort to develop a program applying the techniques and principles in a scheme using options. The concept tests easily met the returns required. In fact, the returns were above expectations. However, the flaws were easily identified and undermined the favorable arguments. Real time with real capital was the only possible approach. Accounts dedicated to the projected applied the strategy and tactics for two years. The results achieved the returns as the program was designed to produce. However, the results were not remotely close to the testing results. Furthermore, the vast majority of prospective transactions were not executable requiring considerably more candidate prospecting than anticipated. The testing protocol booked the vast majority of prospective transactions as executable. Finally, defending equity during adversity was considerably more difficult and stressful than the testing implied. The culprit was once again execution. SPX options trade more actively than most which leads to the belief that back testing is possible. Unfortunately the higher activity levels does not erase the asynchronous relationship of the options to the underlying or the execution at the price designated. Tradestation is a waste of time. The platform barely operates acceptably in real time.

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