EXANTE is a premier multi-asset trading platform and a trademark owned by XNT LTD. It is designed for professional traders seeking to access a large range of financial instruments.
With a robust suite of tools and a user-friendly interface, the EXANTE trading platform makes trading futures and options accessible and efficient. This guide will take you through the steps required to trade these derivatives on the EXANTE broker trading platform.
Understanding Futures and Options
Futures and options are financial derivatives that allow traders to speculate on the price movements of underlying assets, such as commodities, currencies, indices, or stocks.
Futures Contracts
These are agreements to buy or sell an asset at a predetermined price on a specific date. Futures contracts are standardized and traded on exchanges, providing liquidity and regulatory oversight.
Options Contracts
Options give the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to buy (call option) or sell (put option) an asset at a specified price before a certain date. Understanding the distinction between American options (exercised anytime before expiration) and European options (exercised only at expiration) is crucial.
Benefits of Trading Futures and Options
- Leverage: Both futures and options allow traders to control large positions with a relatively small capital outlay, increasing potential returns but also risks.
- Hedging: These instruments can be used to hedge against price fluctuations in other investments, providing a protective strategy for your portfolio.
- Diversification: Futures and options offer additional avenues for portfolio diversification, allowing traders to spread risk across various asset classes.
Trading Futures and Options on EXANTE
Step 1: Set Up Your EXANTE Account
Visit EXANTE’s website and sign up for an account. You’ll need to provide personal information, and financial details, and complete any required verification processes. Be aware of regional restrictions, as EXANTE does not onboard clients from certain jurisdictions, including the U.S.
Before diving into live trading, consider using the EXANTE demo to familiarize yourself with the platform’s features and tools. The demo environment replicates live market conditions, allowing you to practice without financial risk.
When you’re ready for live trading, fund your account. You can deposit funds into your EXANTE account via bank transfer, the safest way to transfer large sums of money. The minimum deposit amount for individual accounts is 10,000 EUR/GBP and for corporate accounts, it is 50,000 EUR/GBP.
Step 2: Navigate the Trading Platform
The EXANTE broker trading platform is designed with an intuitive interface that supports both novice and experienced traders.
- Dashboard: The main dashboard provides an overview of your portfolio, current positions, market watchlists, and recent activity.
- Instrument Panel: Use this to search for specific futures and options contracts. The EXANTE platform offers access to over a million instruments, ensuring ample trading opportunities.
- Charting Tools: Utilize the EXANTE trading platform’s advanced charting tools for technical analysis. You can customize charts with various indicators and drawing tools to aid in market analysis. Save your chart templates for future use to streamline your analysis process.
Step 3: Placing a Trade
Trading Futures
- Select a Contract: Choose the futures contract you wish to trade from the instrument panel. You can filter by asset class, expiry date, or exchange.
- Analyze the Market: Use the charting tools and news feed to analyze market trends and make informed trading decisions.
- Place an Order:
- Market Order: Executes immediately at the current market price.
- Limit Order: Executes at a specified price or better.
- Stop Order: Becomes a market order once the price reaches a specified level.
- Monitor and Manage Your Position: Once your order is filled, monitor the position via the dashboard. Set stop-loss and take-profit levels to manage risk effectively.
Trading Options
- Choose an Option: Select the underlying asset and decide whether to buy a call or put option based on your market outlook.
- Determine Strike Price and Expiry: Select a strike price and expiration date that aligns with your trading strategy.
- Analyze Volatility: Consider implied volatility, as it significantly impacts options pricing. EXANTE’s analytics tools can assist in evaluating volatility trends.
- Place an Order:
- Buy to Open: If you expect the asset price to rise (call) or fall (put).
- Sell to Open: If you are writing options to earn premium income.
- Adjust and Close Positions: Options trading allows for dynamic strategies. Adjust your positions as market conditions change and close them before expiry to realize profits or cut losses.
Step 4: Advanced Tools and Features
Enhanced Security Features
EXANTE places a high priority on security and data protection. The platform implements two-factor authentication (2FA) and phishing protection to ensure the safety of client funds and personal information.
Adhering to GDPR and the MiFID II Directive, EXANTE guarantees client funds' safety under the Investor Compensation Scheme. This robust security framework makes EXANTE a reliable platform for trading futures and options.
Traders can also view and manage a list of active devices and sessions in the Client’s Area, enhancing security and control over account access. From here, active sessions can be closed.
Risk Management Tools
The EXANTE platform offers various tools to manage risk, including margin controls and position limits. Regularly monitor your margin levels to avoid margin calls, especially in volatile markets.
API Integration
EXANTE offers robust API integration options, which are crucial for traders looking to implement automated trading strategies. The platform supports FIX API as well as HTTP API, which enables users to create fast, data-rich financial applications, such as trading bots or custom trading solutions.
It allows for quick deployment and offers enhanced access to market data and historical information. You can also use HTTP API to design data-rich financial applications, from smart messenger bots to market analysis mobile applications and a range of other next-generation applications.
Note that although API access is free of charge, FIX and HTTP API access are only available to clients with an account value of more than 50,000 EUR/GBP or equivalent.
Reports and Analytics
EXANTE offers comprehensive reporting features that allow traders to analyze their trading performance and refine their strategies.
- Performance Reports: Generate detailed reports on your trading activity, including profit and loss, position history, and risk metrics.
- Custom Reports: Utilize new custom reports like Cash Balance and Daily Position for tailored insights into your trading operations
Additional Platform Features
- Multichart: View up to four charts simultaneously to analyze different instruments or timeframes.
- Grid Trading: Implement predefined buy or sell orders with the Ladder strategy, available in the AutoExec module.
- Price Alerts: Set alerts for specific price levels to stay informed about market movements.
- Risk Management Tools: Use margin controls and position limits to manage risk effectively.
Tips for Successful Trading on EXANTE
- Keep abreast of market news and events that could impact futures and options prices.
- Avoid putting all your capital into a single trade. Diversifying your trades can mitigate risk.
- Use stop-loss orders and limit your leverage to manage potential losses effectively.
- Use historical data to identify patterns and trends that may inform future price movements.
Conclusion
With access to a wide array of markets and sophisticated trading tools, the EXANTE broker trading platform equips traders with everything needed to succeed in the dynamic world of derivatives trading. Futures and options trading on the EXANTE platform is straightforward to do, especially for experienced traders.
Disclaimer: This article is provided to you for informational purposes only and should not be regarded as an offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any investments or related services that may be referenced here. While every effort has been made to verify the accuracy of this information, EXT Ltd. (hereafter known as “EXANTE”) cannot accept any responsibility or liability for reliance by any person on this publication or any of the information, opinions, or conclusions contained in this publication. The findings and views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of EXANTE. Any action taken upon the information contained in this publication is strictly at your own risk. EXANTE will not be liable for any loss or damage in connection with this publication.