TradeStation

TradeStation

Developer(s)	TradeStation Technologies, Inc.
Stable release	8.8 / June 21, 2010 (2010-06-21)
Operating system	Microsoft Windows
Type	Technical analysis software
License	Proprietary
Website	www.tradestation.com

TradeStation is a Windows-based application, designed, sold and distributed by TradeStation Securities, Inc. It is technical analysis software that is used for analyzing and trading the financial markets. It uses a built-in proprietary programming language named EasyLanguage.

TradeStation is a professional electronic trading platform for financial market traders. It is used mainly by retail and relatively small investment operations as large financial institutions tend to have their own in-house solutions. It provides extensive functionality for receiving real-time data, displaying charts, and entering investment positions. Although it comes with a large number of pre-defined indicators, individuals can create and display their own using the built-in EasyLanguage programming language. TradeStation supports the development, testing and automation of all aspects of trading. Trading strategies can be backtested and refined against historical data before being turned on and traded "live." TradeStation can either be used as a research and testing tool, or as a trading platform with TradeStation Securities acting as the broker.

Corporate Structure

TradeStation Group, Inc. (NASDAQ GS: TRAD), through its principal operating subsidiary, TradeStation Securities, Inc., offers the TradeStation platform to the active trader and certain institutional trader markets. TradeStation Securities, Inc. (Member NYSE, FINRA, SIPC, DTCC, OCC & NFA) is a licensed securities broker-dealer and a registered futures commission merchant, and also a member of the Boston Options Exchange, Chicago Board Options Exchange, Chicago Stock Exchange, International Securities Exchange and NASDAQ OMX. Its TradeStation Prime Services division, based in New York, seeks to provide prime brokerage services to small and mid-sized hedge funds and other firms. The company’s technology subsidiary, TradeStation Technologies, Inc., develops and offers strategy trading software tools and subscription services. Its London-based subsidiary, TradeStation Europe Limited, an FSA-authorized brokerage firm, introduces UK and other European accounts to TradeStation Securities.

History

• 2004 - Company launches TradeStation 8, which includes direct-access electronic execution of options trades.

• 2003 - TradeStation Securities launches forex analytics and execution services.

• 2003 - Company launches TradeStation 7, which includes direct-access electronic execution of futures trades.

• 2001 - Company launches TradeStation 6 for institutional and active traders, which combines for the first time custom strategy design and testing, automated trading and intelligent direct-access execution of stock trades.

• 2001 - Nasdaq trading symbol for the company's publicly-traded common stock is changed from OMGA to TRAD.

• 2000 - TradeStation Securities (then under a different name), a direct-access securities brokerage, is acquired.

• 2000 - TradeStation 6, the Internet-based trading platform that is to serve as the foundation of the company's intelligent direct-access brokerage service, is launched.

• 2000 - WindowOnWallStreet.com, the company's first Internet-based charting and analytics service, is launched.

• 1999 - Window On WallStreet is acquired.

• 1999 - RadarScreen, a software application that enables traders to scan up to thousands of securities to identify buy and sell opportunities based on the trader's criteria, is launched.

• 1997 - Initial public offering.

• 1996 - OptionStation, an options trading analytics product that enables traders to explore complex trading strategies, is launched.

• 1996 - TradeStation premium service is launched by Telerate, Inc.

• 1994 - Dow Jones Telerate, Inc. agrees to offer TradeStation as a premium service to its institutional customers worldwide.

• 1992 - SuperCharts, a state-of-the-art charting and analytics software application, is launched.

• 1991 - TradeStation, the company's flagship product, is launched.

• 1989 - System Writer, a sophisticated trading strategy software application, is launched.

• 1982 - Company is formed under the name Omega Research, Inc.

Add-ons

A large number of third-party developers sell add-on extensions for TradeStation. Since TradeStation is a development platform, a custom trading program can be developed called a trading system or trading strategy. If any trader has a potentially profitable strategy he would like to have developed, he can either write his own strategy in EasyLanguage or have his trading system developed by third party developers.

Software Versions

The current version of the software is version 9.0, Build 8925 - its real-time data only covers the US and European markets (April 2009 : only US and European real-time data feeds: source1 source2) though there are plans to extend coverage to other regions [. Version 5 was called TradeStation 2000i and could use a variety of different real-time data feeds so that although officially no longer supported, it is still used by traders wishing to work with real-time non-US data. The support for Tradestation 5.0 alias 2000i was closed the 31 December 2003 Announce link. Version 4 of TradeStation was 16 bit software and is now no longer used.

Release history

• TradeStation 3.0 (January 1993) source 3.0
• TradeStation 4.0
• TradeStation 5.0 alias TradeStation 2000i (February 1999) source 5.0
• TradeStation 6.0
• TradeStation 7.0
• TradeStation 7.1
• TradeStation 7.2
• TradeStation 8.0
• TradeStation 8.1
• TradeStation 8.2
• TradeStation 8.3 (June 2007) source 8.3
• TradeStation 8.4 (October 2008) source 8.4
• TradeStation 8.5 (February 2009) source 8.5
• TradeStation 8.6 (April 2009) source 8.6
• TradeStation 8.7 (December 2009 source 8.7
• TradeStation 8.8 (October 2010 source 8.8
• TradeStation 9.0 [October 2010 source 9.0

External links

• TradeStation Securities (TradeStation vendor and stock broker). The site also includes extensive support forums
• TradeStation Addons (a variety of officially endorsed add-on products for TradeStation)
• Radio interviews