Moving average indicator difference between ToS and TradeStation?

excal666

New member
I use both TradeStation and ToS (primarily ToS) but just noticed a big difference in the simple moving average indicator between the two platforms. The images show the continuous S&P 500 mini futures on a daily chart with a simple 50-day moving average. Two obvious differences at first glance:

1) the 50-day MA at the most recent (right-most) day is roughly 8 points higher on TS than ToS, and

2) there is a minimum in the 50-day MA between Nov-Dec 2022 and ToS shows this at roughly 3800, where TS shows this at well above 3800.

Does anyone know why this is? Does TS use some kind of offset to adjust between quarterly contracts? Would like to know if there's a simple reason before going to TS tech support. BTW, ToS does match a 3rd charting website.
ToS%20S&P%20mini%20w%2050-day%20movavg.jpg


TradeStation%20S&P%20mini%20w%2050-day%20movavg.jpg



Understanding the MA is just based on the closing prices which are different between the 2 platforms - just asking why do they show this much difference between the 2 platforms?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Solution
Does anyone know why this is? Does TS use some kind of offset to adjust between quarterly contracts? Would like to know if there's a simple reason before going to TS tech support. BTW, ToS does match a 3rd charting website.

There are a few things at play here.

The closing price on trade station's Daily charts is the settlement price, not the last trade price. Using a 1440 minute chart instead of Daily will adjust Trade Station to last trade price. TOS also has the option to use settlement, so it depends on which one you want to conform to the other.

7lOHBj2.png


Then there is the continuous contract rollover trigger, which can be done any number of ways, by preference, with no right or wrong way to do it. TOS is fixed at the...
Understanding the MA is just based on the closing prices which are different between the 2 platforms - just asking why do they show this much difference between the 2 platforms?

Think about it, you already understand that the MA is based on the closing prices which are different between the 2 platforms.

Therefore, a 50-bar moving average is 50-bars of close differences that extrapolate the discrepancies.
https://usethinkscript.com/threads/tos-tradestation-chart-discrepancies.8457/#post-79039
 
Last edited:

Join useThinkScript to post your question to a community of 21,000+ developers and traders.

Does anyone know why this is? Does TS use some kind of offset to adjust between quarterly contracts? Would like to know if there's a simple reason before going to TS tech support. BTW, ToS does match a 3rd charting website.

There are a few things at play here.

The closing price on trade station's Daily charts is the settlement price, not the last trade price. Using a 1440 minute chart instead of Daily will adjust Trade Station to last trade price. TOS also has the option to use settlement, so it depends on which one you want to conform to the other.

7lOHBj2.png


Then there is the continuous contract rollover trigger, which can be done any number of ways, by preference, with no right or wrong way to do it. TOS is fixed at the customary roll date, which is the Monday prior to expiration Friday, with no way to change it. Trade Station, by default, rolls based on open interest, when the back month overtakes the front month in popularity, but you can conform trade station to TOS with customization.

There is also the issue of the back adjustment methods. Trade Station has a couple of them, along with Unadjusted. TOS only has one, which can be enabled or disabled, but when enabled it doesn't seem to sync up to either of Trade Station's adjustment options.

So, to sync up both platforms, you to disable adjustments in TOS, use Unadjusted as the back adjustment method in trade station, and set the rollover trigger in trade station to 5 days prior to expiration, as per the Monday I mentioned above.

3mmO7fL.png
 
Solution

Similar threads

Not the exact question you're looking for?

Start a new thread and receive assistance from our community.

87k+ Posts
234 Online
Create Post

Similar threads

Similar threads

The Market Trading Game Changer

Join 2,500+ subscribers inside the useThinkScript VIP Membership Club
  • Exclusive indicators
  • Proven strategies & setups
  • Private Discord community
  • ‘Buy The Dip’ signal alerts
  • Exclusive members-only content
  • Add-ons and resources
  • 1 full year of unlimited support

Frequently Asked Questions

What is useThinkScript?

useThinkScript is the #1 community of stock market investors using indicators and other tools to power their trading strategies. Traders of all skill levels use our forums to learn about scripting and indicators, help each other, and discover new ways to gain an edge in the markets.

How do I get started?

We get it. Our forum can be intimidating, if not overwhelming. With thousands of topics, tens of thousands of posts, our community has created an incredibly deep knowledge base for stock traders. No one can ever exhaust every resource provided on our site.

If you are new, or just looking for guidance, here are some helpful links to get you started.

What are the benefits of VIP Membership?
VIP members get exclusive access to these proven and tested premium indicators: Buy the Dip, Advanced Market Moves 2.0, Take Profit, and Volatility Trading Range. In addition, VIP members get access to over 50 VIP-only custom indicators, add-ons, and strategies, private VIP-only forums, private Discord channel to discuss trades and strategies in real-time, customer support, trade alerts, and much more. Learn all about VIP membership here.
How can I access the premium indicators?
To access the premium indicators, which are plug and play ready, sign up for VIP membership here.
Back
Top