Preferences

The Preferences dialog allows you to view and modify default settings that are used when creating new Strategy Groups in Portfolio Maestro. Once a Strategy Group is created, the specific settings can further be modified using the Strategy Group Settings dialog.

  • Access using the File > Preferenes menu sequence.

The following describes each of the tabs in the Preferences dialog and the settings they contain:

General Tab

Contains preferences for specifying trade costs and general strategy trading preferences.

Costs/Capitalization

Allows you to set the Per Trade or Per Share/Contract costs for Commissions and Position Slippage for each asset type you might want to trade. You can also set the Initial Capital, and initial Interest Rate.

Back-testing resolution

  • Use Look-Inside-Bar back-testing - When checked, specifies default values for interval settings when using Look-Inside-Bar backtesting.
  • Maximum number of bars study will reference - The default MaxBarsBack setting for your strategies.

Position Limits (for pyramiding strategies only)

  • Allow up to NN entry orders - When checked, specifies the number (NN) of entry orders in the same direction you will allow.
  • Maximum position size - Indicates the maximum position size for Equities, Futures, and Forex positions.

Format

  • Commission/Slippage Decimal Places - Indicates the number of digits to the right of the decimal place for commission or slippage.

Sharp Ratio and K-Ratio Calculation

  • Calculation Period - The type of period (Daily, Weekly, Monthly) used in ratio calculations.

Quantity Tab

Contains preferences for specifying default trade size for each asset type based on either fixed quantities or dollars per trade.

Trade Size

Contains default quantities to use when the trade size is not specified in a strategy.

  • Fixed Amount - Specifies the default shares, contracts, or units to used for each asset type.
  • Dollars(s) per trade - Specifies the dollar amount to trade for each asset class along with additional parameters for rounding off trades and setting minimum quantities.

Backtesting Tab

Contains preferences backtesting defaults.

Limit Order Fill Assumptions- Used to specify how you want limit orders to be filled.

Market Order Fill Assumptions - Used to specify how you want market orders to be filled.

Enable Intra-bar Order Generation Optimization with Look-Inside-Bar back-testing - When checked, evaluates the strategy only when the price changes within the bar.

Reports Tab

Contains preferences used for showing and maintaining reports.

Report Maintenance- Specifies when to automatically delete unlocked reports based on a specified time period.

Currency Conversion Rates Definition - Specifies currency conversion rates for different listed symbols.

Periodical Return Periods - Default values to use for periodical returns when displaying or printing.

Trades List Report - Used to set options for showing the application of money management and constraints in Trade List reports.

TradeStation Margins Tab

Contains preferences for initial margin settings listed by Asset Type and Symbol.