TradeStation Help

Using Chart Trading

TradeStation Chart Trading is an application that allows you to quickly and easily place trades, manage positions, and manage orders from a chart. It integrates click-and-drag order placement functionality and ease-of-use to a Chart Analysis window.

Similar functionality as above is available in the Mobile and Web Trading versions of TradeStation.

To apply chart trading to the active chart in the desktop platform, use the menu bar Format > Chart Trading menu sequence, select Chart Trading from the shortcut menu, or click the Chart Trading icon from the Chart Analysis toolbar. The ChartTrading panel appears and docks to your chart window. Using ChartTrading also appears with popular speed keys for placing trades.

If the Chart Trading icon does not appear on the toolbar, use the View > Toolbars > Customize menu sequence to access the Customize dialog, and under the Commands - Format category drag Chart Trading to the position you want the icon to appear on the Chart Analysis toolbar. See Customize - Commands for more about customizing the toolbar.

Trades can be placed by clicking on the various order entry buttons in the Order Panel or by clicking directly on the chart. The chart trading order bar is much like the Quick Trade Bar and integrates click-and-drag order placement functionality that is similar to that found in the Matrix.

Placing Orders Using the Chart Trade Bar

Order Settings

Account Number - The Account to use for your trades in this chart.
Order Quantity - The number of shares, contracts, or lots to trade.
Order Duration - The duration type of the order.
Attach OSO - Check to attach the listed OSO order type.
OSO Order Types - Drop-down list of available OSO orders.

Place Order

Buy - Buy Limit at the best Bid price (Bid size shown under Bid price).
/\ or \/ - Upward or downward market direction.
Sell - Sell Limit at the best Ask price (Ask size shown under Ask price).
Buy Mkt - Buy at current market price.
Sell Mkt - Sell at current market price.
Take - Buy Limit at the best Ask price.
Hit - Sell Limit at the best Bid price.
Buy Trl - Buy with trailing stop.
Sell Trl - Sell with trailing stop.
% or Pts - Trail by percent or number of points.
Amt - The value (% or Pts) for the trailing order.
Place OCO Order button - Click to place the listed OCO order.
OCO Order Types - Drop-down list of available OSO orders.

Manage Orders/Position

Cxl All - Cancel all open orders for the symbol.
Cxl Active - Cancel open orders in the current session.
Reverse - Reverse the side of your open positions.
Close - Close your position.
VWAP - Volume weighted average price of your position.
Position - Size of current position.
AvgPrice - The average price of current position.
OpenP/L - The profit (positive) or loss (negative) of the current position.
OpenP/L% - The percent profit (positive or negative) of the current position.

Disable - When checked, disables order panel.

Help- Displays online help.

Place Orders by Clicking in a Chart

When placing orders by clicking on the chart, Ctrl + Left Click mimics the behavior of clicking on the bid side in the Matrix window and Alt + Left Click mimics clicking on the ask side in the Matrix window.

Open orders can be moved to new price levels by simply dragging their corresponding order lines.
Right-clicking an order line will allow you to edit the order's quantity and/or price.
Selecting an order line and pressing the delete key will delete the order.

The following table summarizes the various key and mouse click combinations that may be used to place orders by clicking directly on the chart: