STA Blog

Niels Kaastrup-Larsen in conversation with Alistair Philip: With an emphasis on systematic trading and trend following

March’s STA Monthly Meeting was yesterday, Tuesday the 9th, via Zoom webinar. Introduced by Jeff Boccaccio (who apologised for his long hair) our guest speaker, Niels Kaastrup-Larsen in Zug, Switzerland, was looking very dapper with neat greying hair, while his host, Alistair Philip MSTA, sported a fashionable hairstyle and sat at a typical black, high-backed, dealer-style swivelling chair.

Niels, speaking from what must be his regular virtual meeting/TV studio/ podcast recording space, encouraged us to go to www.TopTradersUnplugged.com for his podcasts (and from where you can also download a virtual book on the subject) to hear the wide range of interviews and charts available on his site.

He then scampers cleverly through a brief potted history of the hedge fund industry and the money managers more generally, from trend following in the early 1970’s, to stock selection based on price and fundamentals, to smart beta, high frequency and AI. Note to self: he means artificial intelligence, a term bandied around a lot at the moment. However, if you’re from an animal husbandry background, it’s artificial insemination. CTA also has some very different meanings.

He flits briefly over Intelligence Quotient (IQ) where research suggests that, rather worryingly, this drops by 13-17% when we approach investment decisions. In an effort to counter this – and other natural flaws and biases – he suggests ‘’trade small’’ and that diversification is a good thing – and it delivers returns. He also recommends a book by Dr Daniel Crosby called ‘The Behavioural Investor’.

With a background in the futures industry, he stresses that market liquidity is terribly important. He worries that the next financial crisis will show up the limitations of some products, for example, Over The Counter (OTC) products. Here I would also add Exchange Traded Products (ETPs). He showed us some topical and interesting charts, the Donchian Channel a new one for me. Investopedia.com says: Donchian Channels are three lines generated by moving average calculations that comprise an indicator formed by upper and lower bands around a mid-range or median band.

Allowing plenty of time for questions, Alastair moves in with lots of questions of his own, moderating those which had been previously emailed in, and the ones written via Zoom. The session finally ends at 20:15 after a few too many questions.

When asked ‘what causes trends?’ Niels answers: ‘’it doesn’t matter. Data tells us all that we need’’ and that it suggests ways in which we might participate, adding: ‘’when the press call for the end of trend-following, it’s usually a good buying opportunity’’. A technician through and through!

Posted in Finance, Markets, STA news, Technical Analysis, Technical Analysis Courses, Trading, Trending
Tags: , ,
Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed on the STA’s blog do not necessarily represent those of the Society of Technical Analysts (the “STA”), or of any officer, director or member of the STA. The STA makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information on the blog or found by following any link on blog, and none of the STA, STA Administrative Services or any current or past executive board members are liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. None of the information on the STA’s blog constitutes investment advice.

Not ready to join? Stay Updated

If you want to learn more about membership and being part of the STA, sign up for our updates so we can keep in touch.

  html
  text

Monthly Meetings

The STA holds 11 monthly meetings in the City of London, including a summer and Christmas party where canapés and refreshments are served.

MORE INFO

Latest Videos

As a service to our members, many of whom are unable to attend all our monthly meetings, we have been making videos of meeting presentations for several years.

MORE INFO

STA Libraries

The STA has an extensive library of classic technical analysis texts. There are over 1000 books in the collection. It is held at the Barbican Library with a smaller...

MORE INFO

Market Technician

Latest research and news

More Info

World Class Tutors

STA Course Lecturers

More Info

Membership

Be part of something special

More Info

Blog

View latest posts

More Info