Spread Trading

A Whole New Way To Trade

by Trader, Author and Educator
Joe Ross

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Introduction: What is a Spread?

Spread trading in futures is as old as the hills, yet it is an
entirely new concept for most current traders in futures. In this
introductory piece, we will show you that spreads can be the
most conservative, safest way to trade in the futures markets.
But first, what exactly is a spread?

A Spread Defined
A spread is defined as the sale of one or more futures contracts
and the purchase of one or more offsetting futures contracts.
You can turn that around to say it the opposite way: A spread is
the purchase of one or more futures contracts and the sale of
one or more offsetting futures contracts.
Either way you say it, it is a spread.

A hedge
A spread is also created when a trader owns (is long) the
physical vehicle and offsets by selling (going short) futures.
This kind of spread is called a hedge and is the reason for
which futures markets were originally created.

Furthermore, a spread is defined as the purchase and

sale of one or more offsetting futures contracts normally
recognized as a spread by the fact that the two legs of
the spread are actually related in some way.

Related markets explicitly excludes those exotic spreads

put forth by some vendors, which are nothing more than
computer generated coincidences, which are not in any
way related.

Exotic spreads such as Long Bond futures and Short Bean

Oil futures may show up as reliable computer generated
spreads, but bean oil and bonds are not really related.
Such spreads fall into the same category as believing the
annual performance of the stock market is somehow
related to the outcome of the Bolshoi Ballet.

In any case, for tactical reasons in carrying out a

particular strategy, you want to end up being:

Simultaneously long futures of one kind in one month, and

short futures of the same kind in another month.
(Intramarket Calendar Spread)
Simultaneously long futures of one kind and short related
futures of another kind. (Intermarket spread)
Long futures at one exchange and short related futures at
another exchange. (Inter-exchange Spread)
Long or short an underlying physical commodity, and short or
long a futures contract. (Hedge)
Long or short an underlying equity position, and short or long
a futures contract. (Hedge)
Long or short financial instruments, and long or short financial
futures. (Hedge)

The primary ways in which spread trading can

be accomplished are:

Via an Intramarket spread

Via an Intermarket spread
Via an Inter-exchange spread
Via ownership of the underlying while simultaneously
offsetting with a futures contract

Intramarket Spreads:
Officially, Intramarket spreads are created only as calendar
spreads. You are long and short futures in the same
market, but in different months. An example of an
Intramarket spread is that you are Long July Corn and
simultaneously Short December Corn.

Intermarket Spreads:
An Intermarket spread can be accomplished by going
long futures in one market and short futures of the same
month in another market. For example: Short May Wheat
and Long May Soybeans.
Intermarket spreads can become calendar spreads by
using long and short futures in different markets and in
different months.

Inter-Exchange Spreads:
A less commonly known method of creating spreads is via
the use of contracts in similar markets, but on different
exchanges. These spreads can be calendar spreads using
different months, or they can be spreads in which the
same month is used.
Although the markets are similar, because the contracts
occur on different exchanges they are able to be spread.
An example of an Inter-exchange calendar spread would
be simultaneously Long July Chicago Board of Trade
(CBOT) Wheat, and Short an equal amount of May Kansas
City Board of Trade (KCBOT) Wheat. An example of using
the same month might be Long December CBOT Wheat
and Short December KCBOT Wheat.

Why Spreads?
The rationale behind spread trading is one of the best-kept
secrets of the insiders of the futures markets. While
spreading is commonly done by the market insiders,
much effort is made to conceal this technique and all of
its benefits from outsiders, you and me. After all, why
would the insiders want to give away their edge? By
keeping us from knowing about spreading, they retain a
distinct advantage. Spreading is one of the most
conservative forms of trading. It is usually much safer than
the trading of outright (naked) futures contracts.

Lets take a quick look at some of the benefits of using

spreads:

Intramarket spreads require considerably less margin,

typically only around 25% - 75% of the margin needed
for outright futures positions. Some spreads carry as
much as a 95% discount to the margins required for
outright futures.

Intramarket spreads offer a far greater return on

investment than is possible with outright futures
positions. Why? Because you are posting less margin
for the same amount of possible return.

Spreads, in general, trend more often than outright

futures. They also trade for longer periods of time
because the trends are based on reality as opposed
to market manipulation by insiders and market movers.

More benefits of using spreads:

Spreads are often trending when outright futures are flat.

Spreads can be filtered by virtue of seasonality,

backwardation, and carrying charge differentials, in
addition to any other filters you might be using in your
trading.

Spreads, much like options, can be used to create partial

futures positions. In fact, many things that can be done
with options on futures can be accomplished via spread
trading.

More benefits of using spreads:

Spreads allow you to take less risk than is available with

outright futures positions. The amount of risk between two
Intramarket futures positions is usually less than the risk in an
outright futures position. The risk between owning the
underlying and holding a futures contract involves the least
risk of all. Spreads make it possible to hedge any position
you might have in the market. Whether you are hedging
between physical ownership and futures, or between two
futures positions, the risk is lower than that of outright futures.
In that sense, every hedge is a spread.

Spread order entry enables you to enter or exit a trade

using an actual spread order, or by independently entering
each leg of the spread (legging in/out).

Spreads are one of the few ways to obtain decent fills by

legging in/out during the Close of a market.

More benefits of using spreads:

Live data is not needed for spread trading, possibly

saving you $$ in exchange fees, and costs for data.

You will not be the victim of stop running when using

Intramarket spreads, because there are no stops, only
exit points.

What Can You Expect?

Here are some examples of what you can expect from Intramarket
spread trading. We think you may pleasantly surprised!

Would you want to have been long

soybeans during this same period?

Although you would have made money on the outright futures,

you would have suffered from serious whipsaw during the entire
length of the trade. At one point, there was a major draw-down
on your margin account as prices plunged below your entry point.
Who needs such aggravation?
Certainly, we dont look forward to the kind of trading represented
by what would have happened on this outright soybean trade.
Prices were choppy and sloppy throughout the duration.
Perhaps you think you would have gone in and out while prices
were chopping around. However, it is never a good idea to churn
your own account. Commissions and fees would have taken a
substantial amount from your available capital.

The spread made 11 points.

The outright soybean trade made 12.5 points.
But to get that extra point and a-half you had to
put up more than three times the margin, and
you had to withstand a huge draw-down.

The following two Intramarket trades in Soybean

meal were taken based on seasonality:

Lastly, we show an inter-exchange spread. This

one was made between Kansas City wheat and
Chicago wheat.

We went Long Kansas City wheat and Short Chicago wheat on

a seasonally based trade when prices made a 1-2-3 low and
then broke out past the #2 point.
Our entry was at 12.75 (a negative value), and we were
looking for the trade to become positive. It far exceeded our
expectations by moving to a spread value of 13.
We exited at 8. This spread made us 20.75 points or $1,037.50.
The margin required to put on this spread was $1,243.00: $743
for the Chicago wheat leg of the
spread and another $500 for the Kansas City wheat leg of the
spread.

Intermarket and Inter-exchange spreads usually, but not always,

require the posting of two margin amounts, since the
exchanges do not offer the lowered margin requirements that
are available for intra-market spreads.
Nevertheless, there are many Intermarket and Inter-exchange
spreads that can make you considerable amounts of money.

On the next page, we show you an Intermarket spread which

does carry lowered exchange markets.
It is a spread between the 30-year T-bond and the Ten-year
notes. Some people think that interest rate futures hardly ever
trend and that spreads between them are usually flat.
We are of a different opinion, as you will soon see.

We entered this spread Long Ten-Year notes and Short T-bonds.

The spread value at entry was 26/32nds.
Our exit was when the spread value was 3 points plus 17-1/2 32nds.
Each point in this spread was worth $1,000. 17-1/2 32nds was worth
$531.25.
Total for the spread was $1,531.25. Margin was $1,148.

 Compare the spread margin of $1,148 with regular T-note

margins of $1,890 for an outright futures position.
What would have happened had you been long outright TNote futures during that same time period? Get set for a
shock!!
You would have lost a lot of money in outright futures during
the same period that you were making $1,531.25 in the
spread.

How can this be?

It is because T-bond futures fell much faster than T-note futures
plunged. But the melt down in T-bond futures was much more
severe.
You see, it can happen that even while futures are plummeting, it
is possible to make a significant amount of money in a spread,
and you can do so without fear that insiders are going to run the
stops. This is why the Chicago Board of Trade is willing to offer
reduced margins for this Intermarket spread.

Compared with the $1,531.25 we made in the spread,

you would have lost about 5 1/2 points in an outright
T-note futures trade.
The loss would have been $5,500.

SPREAD ADVANTAGES

Generally less risk

Reduced margins
More efficient use of capital
Lower volatility
More positions possible
Trend longer and more often
No stop running
Require less liquidity
Less concern with slippage

In some situations, greater

chance of winning
Seasonality
Correlation
Inverted Markets both
ways
Spreads can trend when
the underlying is going
sideways

Does trading in spreads

sound interesting to you?
We have barely scratched the surface of what is available in
the almost lost art of spread trading. There are times when
seasonal spreads, coupled with chart formations, make a lot of
sense. Backwardation in any market often provides an excellent
signal for entry into a spread. There are also Correlation
spreads. You will learn how and when to enter these marvelous
spreads, and you will learn how to create your own library of
correlated seasonal spreads.

You will learn how and when to use backwardation as an

entry into spreads.
These techniques, along with seasonality, correlation, and
observation are covered in our web course.
We also give you the rationale behind all of these spreads
Vital information that you need to know.
We include examples, examples, examples, so that you
can begin to use spreads in your own trading.

Along with the course, a must read is Joe Rosss manual

entitled Trading Spreads and Seasonals. This manual will
open up an entire new world for you.

http://spread-trading.com/books.htm

Need or want more? We offer a one-day seminar

entitled Profitable Futures Spread Trading.
At the seminar, you will learn how to plan your spreads,
and how to apply the Law of Charts to your spread
trading. You will also learn about spread management,
and how to set up profitable spread trades. You will learn
how observation spreads can make you a lot of money,
and all you need to do them is to see them. We show you
how and when to enter and exit spreads using the Traders
Trick Entry.

We explain why Seasonal Spreads work.

We will show you:
> How and where to obtain the right information for trading
spreads
> How to find the right time window for entering a spread
> How and when to leg into or leg out of a spread trade.
> How to use Intermarket spreads
> How to earn profits using spreads.
> How to manage spread trades, applying reality trading to
spread trades; and much, much more.
We put you on the path to what we believe is the safest and most
profitable way to trade in the futures markets.

Does the lost art of spread trading

seem interesting to you?
Are you itching to see the kind of money
you can make trading spreads?
If you think this might be for you, then you can get started
right now.
Go immediately to:
www.spread-trading.com
and pick up our spread resources, subscribe to / buy / order
our spread trading services to get started!!

Weredone,butyouneedtoknowwheretogofromhere.
Whatarethenextstepsyoumightwanttofollow?
Depending on where you are in your spread trading education, you may want
to consider the following:

Best Books for your Spread Trading Education: "Trading Spreads and Seasonals" by Joe
Ross. In Trading Spreads and Seasonals (for futures traders), Joe Ross brings you down-toearth with his vast knowledge of one of the most fundamental ways anyone can ever learn to
trade.
Futures Beginners Course (e-book). Joe's Futures Course for Beginners arms you with
vital information and insights - it will help you to get to the next level of understanding
towards a more rewarding trading life.
Futures Spread Trading Online Seminar with Joe Ross is The World's Only Complete
Futures Spread Trading Seminar learn one of the most profitable and relaxed ways to
trade!
1-Month Mentoring with Andy Jordan. Futures Training by Trading and Interacting Oneon-One with a professional Trading Mentor in Real Time. The training is for beginning,
intermediate, and advanced traders. Please contact Andy Jordan if you need further
information. He will discuss with you the best way to become a successful spread trader.
Sign up for our Daily Spread & Position Trading Newsletter: Traders Notebook. Traders
Notebook directs you to all the spreads you might want to trade. Subscribers have daily
access to online help and advice. Traders Notebook also lets you in on high probability
futures position trades.
Private Tutoring for Spreads One-on-One online with Joe Ross

Visit www.spread-trading.com/whatisnext.html to find out more details about these

and more spread trading product or service we have available.