Jump to content

Welcome to the new Traders Laboratory! Please bear with us as we finish the migration over the next few days. If you find any issues, want to leave feedback, get in touch with us, or offer suggestions please post to the Support forum here.

  • Welcome Guests

    Welcome. You are currently viewing the forum as a guest which does not give you access to all the great features at Traders Laboratory such as interacting with members, access to all forums, downloading attachments, and eligibility to win free giveaways. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free. Create a FREE Traders Laboratory account here.

Sign in to follow this  
rs1

Crude Oil Order Book

Recommended Posts

Hi,

 

Newbie question on NYMEX Crude oil futures. Looking at the book, it seems that there is very little size stacked up on the either side of the book and that the inside bids/ offers are not more than 5 or 10 contracts aside alot of the time. Compared to fixed income or even EUR futures, this seems to be a very thin book. Does this mean that if you wanted to buy 100 contracts, you would have to take out all the offers and incur the slippage and move the market to do so? I was under the impression that the NYMEX crude future was extremely liquid. I am clearly missing something here, can the experienced Crude traders please help out?

 

Thanks

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest forsearch

I was under the impression that the NYMEX crude future was extremely liquid.

 

Your impression is correct. Not only is it liquid it is very volatile. As Brownie said, you shouldn't worry about 100 cars on the CL (or even QM for that matter) - focus on your entries and exits with 1 contract for the moment.

 

Keep in mind that a full dollar move in the price of oil is worth $1,000 US on the CL ($500 on the QM). With the current moves in crude, the margin is around $12,000 or so, although some brokers will let you "play crude" with as little as $2,000 margin. Truly a recipe for disaster, IMHO.

 

And as a side note, make sure that your broker properly supports the NYMEX on Globex. One of my brokers (Open E Cry) had a problem turning up their platform (OEC Trader) for the early opening on Sunday afternoon at 2:30pm ET, as they weren't fully online until after 4pm. Guess someone didn't get the memo over there again...:doh:

 

-fs

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I thought I had replied to this this morning but it looks like it didn't take.

 

First of all, thanks for the replies guys.

 

I was looking at the CL October contract in particular. I am definitely not looking to do 100 contracts and am well aware of the volatility in this market! I am just trying to get an understanding of how a large player would move that type of size and how quickly and easily the market can get pushed around.

 

So am I right in assuming that if someone wanted to trade 100 contracts and were crazy enough to just do it, they could move the market quite substantially? or are those 1 lot, 2 lot bids/ offers just icebergs or is there something else going on there?

 

Thanks again

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest forsearch

Who knows... and do I care? Of course not.

 

All I need to know is that the CL is volatile enough for me to use buck-wide stops and small 1 lot piker sizes when trading it.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Who knows... and do I care? Of course not.

 

All I need to know is that the CL is volatile enough for me to use buck-wide stops and small 1 lot piker sizes when trading it.

 

I agree FS - why it's moving is of no concern to me either, just as long as it moves.

 

You normally use $1.00 stops there? A bit much for my tolerance.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest forsearch
I agree FS - why it's moving is of no concern to me either, just as long as it moves.

 

You normally use $1.00 stops there? A bit much for my tolerance.

 

Buck-wide fits the position size and volatility on CL. More size, tighter stops.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Yes I see what you mean, the trading side is more important to understand, I get that.

 

Perhaps someone with more knowledge of the intricacies of how these futures work could explain further. If anyone knows anything further regarding my questions above, I would be very grateful for any more information.

 

Thanks

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest forsearch

Perhaps someone with more knowledge of the intricacies of how these futures work could explain further.

 

Sure. You're a newbie. We get that.

 

Go read a book if you really want to know. There are many out there for you to Google and download. Or buy from Amazon if you need a hardcopy.

 

Or you can go to the NYMEX website and CME Globex manual and read all about how orders are handled by the electronic matching algorithm.

 

We've all been there, done that.

 

A little self-help here goes a long way. So spend some time during RTH actually watching crude oil on the charts and the DOM and the T&S live as it happens. Get a feel for what you think is going on between the buyers and the sellers.

 

It isn't going to come together for you right away until you realize what is important in trading the markets and what isn't.

 

-fs

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Fair enough, I will spend some more time looking it up and watching the book. I just thought may be there was someone on here who had real-world experience of trading these futures and could offer an insight that you can't get from the manuals or the books. That was the idea behind putting this out on the forum.

 

Cheers

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Sign in to follow this  

  • Topics

  • Posts

    • AMZN Amazon stock, nice buying at the 187.26 triple+ support area at https://stockconsultant.com/?AMZN
    • DELL Dell Technologies stock, good day moving higher off the 90.99 double support area, from Stocks to Watch at https://stockconsultant.com/?DELL
    • MCK Mckesson stock, nice trend and continuation breakout at https://stockconsultant.com/?MCK
    • lmfx just officially launched their own LMGX token, Im planning to grab a couple of hundred and maybe have the option to stake them. 
    • Date: 2nd April 2025.   Market on Edge: Tariff Announcement and Volatility Ahead!   The US economic and employment data continues to deteriorate with the job vacancies figures dropping to a 5-month low. In addition to this, the IMS Manufacturing PMI also fell below expectations. However, both the US Dollar and Gold declined simultaneously following the release of the two figures, an uncommon occurrence in the market. Traders expect a key factor to be today’s ‘liberation day’ where the US will impose tariffs on imports. USDJPY - Traders Await Tariff Confirmation! Traders looking to determine how the USDJPY will look today will find it difficult to determine until the US confirms its tariff plan. Today is the day when Trump previously stated he would finalize and announce his tariff plan. The administration has not yet released the policy, but investors expect it to be the most expansionary in a century. President Trump is due to speak at 20:00 GMT. On HFM's Calendar the speech is stated as "US Liberation Day Tariff Announcement". Currently, analysts are expecting Trump’s Tariff Plan to impose tariffs on the EU, chips and pharmaceuticals later today as well as reciprocal tariffs. Economists have a good idea of how these tariffs may take effect, but reciprocal tariffs are still unspecified. In addition to this, 25% tariffs on the car industry will start tomorrow. The tariffs on the foreign cars industry are a factor which will particularly impact Japan. Although, traders should note that this is what is expected and is not yet finalised. Last week, President Trump stated that he would implement retaliatory tariffs but allow exemptions for certain US trade partners. Treasury Secretary Mr Bessent and National Economic Council Director Mr Hassett suggested that the restrictions would primarily target 15 countries responsible for the bulk of the US trade deficit. However, yesterday, Trump contradicted these statements, asserting that additional duties would be imposed on any country that has implemented similar measures against US products. The day’s volatility will depend on which route the US administration takes. The harshness of the policy will influence both the Japanese Yen as well as the US Dollar.   USDJPY 5-Minute Chart   US Economic and Employment Data The JOLT Job Vacancies figure fell below expectations and is lower than the previous month’s figure. The JOLT Job Vacancies read 7.57 million whereas the average of the past 6 months is 7.78 million. The ISM Manufacturing Index also fell below the key level of 50.00 and was 5 points lower than what analysts were expecting. The data is negative for the US Dollar, particularly as the latest release applies more pressure on the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates. However, this is unlikely to happen if the trade policy ignites higher and stickier inflation. In the Bank of Japan’s Governor's latest speech, Mr Ueda said that the tariffs are likely to trigger higher inflation. USDJPY Technical Analysis Currently, the Japanese Yen Index is the worst performing of the day while the US Dollar Index is more or less unchanged. However, this is something traders will continue to monitor as the EU session starts. In the 2-hour timeframe, the USDJPY is trading at the neutral level below the 75-bar EMA and 100-bar SMA. The RSI and MACD is also at the neutral level meaning traders should be open to price movements in either direction. On the smaller timeframes, such as the 5-minute timeframe, there is a slight bias towards a bullish outcome. However, this is only likely if the latest bearish swing does not drop below the 200-Bar SMA.     The key resistant level can be seen at 150.262 and the support level at 149.115. Breakout levels are at 149.988 and 149.674. Key Takeaway Points: Job vacancies hit a five-month low, and the ISM Manufacturing PMI missed expectations, adding pressure on the Federal Reserve regarding interest rate decisions. Traders await confirmation on Trump’s tariff policy, which is expected to impact the EU, chips, pharmaceuticals, and foreign car industries. The severity of the tariffs will influence both the JPY and the USD, with traders waiting for final policy details. The Japanese Yen Index is the worst index of the day while the US Dollar Index is unchanged. Always trade with strict risk management. Your capital is the single most important aspect of your trading business.   Please note that times displayed based on local time zone and are from time of writing this report.   Click HERE to access the full HFM Economic calendar.   Want to learn to trade and analyse the markets? Join our webinars and get analysis and trading ideas combined with better understanding of how markets work. Click HERE to register for FREE!   Click HERE to READ more Market news.   Michalis Efthymiou HFMarkets   Disclaimer: This material is provided as a general marketing communication for information purposes only and does not constitute an independent investment research. Nothing in this communication contains, or should be considered as containing, an investment advice or an investment recommendation or a solicitation for the purpose of buying or selling of any financial instrument. All information provided is gathered from reputable sources and any information containing an indication of past performance is not a guarantee or reliable indicator of future performance. Users acknowledge that any investment in Leveraged Products is characterized by a certain degree of uncertainty and that any investment of this nature involves a high level of risk for which the users are solely responsible and liable. We assume no liability for any loss arising from any investment made based on the information provided in this communication. This communication must not be reproduced or further distributed without our prior written permission.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.