TradeStation Help

Using Chart Trading

TradeStation Chart Trading is an application that docks to your chart windows and 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 that is similar to that found in the Matrix. The chart trading order bar is much like the Quick Trade Bar.

To apply chart trading to the active chart, 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. 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.

Placing Orders Using the Chart Trade Bar

Order Settings

Fund Source - The source of funds to use for your trades in this chart.
Taxation - The account taxation method for trades in this chart.
Order Quantity - The number of shares to trade (increments in round lots).
Order Duration - The duration type of the order. For GTD, a date picker appears.
Lot Selection - The method that is used to close lots for an exit order.

Place Order

Button labels will be updated based on the fund source (see above) and position.

Buy - Buy Limit at the best Bid price (Bid size shown under Bid price).
/\ or \/ - Upward or downward market direction.
Sell Short - 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.
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.

Manage Orders/Position

Cxl All - Cancel all open orders for the symbol.
Cxl Active - Cancel open orders in the current session.
Close All - Close your position.
Reverse - Not active.
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.
#Orders - The number of open orders for the current position.

Disable - When checked, disables order panel.

Help - Displays online help topic.

First Time Help - Displays popup showing shortcut keys for order placement.

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: