Over the past few weeks, spring has arrived, in what has been a very challenging period across many countries in the world. Looking outside, it’s a time of new beginnings, thankfully making a change from the past few months of winter. Markets have their seasons too. Some might actually mirror the actual seasons outside. …
Category: Macro
General, Macro
Unwinding isn’t always relaxed
by Saeed Amen •
Does there always have to be a reason? When it comes to financial markets, even if there isn’t a reason, folks will try and explain one. Ah, that move, that was Middle East buying. Oh no, perhaps, it was China. However, often there can be a good reason to explain a move, and slowly it…
Data, Foreign Exchange, General, Macro
Mind the gap risk
by Saeed Amen •
Financial markets are not generally open continually. Cryptocurrency markets by contrast, are open all the time. If you want to trade Bitcoin over the weekend you can. There are also various weekend markets on some smaller platforms, where you can speculate on assets like Dow Jones. If a market is closed and a big market…
Foreign Exchange, General, Macro
An option room with a view
by Saeed Amen •
Let’s say I want a burger. The easiest way to have a burger in a restaurant is to order one, right? Alternatively, we could order the whole menu, which happens to have a burger in it. We’ll end up eating a lot more, but I suppose we’ll still get to the same objective. In…
Foreign Exchange, General, Macro, Python
Getting started in FX
by Saeed Amen •
It always difficult to know where to start, when it comes to areas in finance. There is so much to read, so what to start with? Furthermore, the more you read and the more years that pass, it becomes even more obvious that there is less you know. I remember back in 2005, when I…
Data, Foreign Exchange, General, Macro, Python
Hundreds of quant papers from #QuantLinkADay in 2020
by Saeed Amen •
This has been a challenging year by pretty much any other standard. I remember when I was kid, and heard the year 2020, it sounded very exciting. It’d be like Back to the Future, with hoverboards and flying cars. Instead, 2020 has been all about the coronavirus. Whilst I’ve been lucky enough to be safe…
Data, General, Macro
Point forecasts and uncertainty
by Saeed Amen •
If you live in the UK, the weather is always a topic of discussion. Sometimes it rains (well, a lot of the time it rains), other times it’s sunny. What’s somewhat perplexing is the sudden change within a couple of hours. Admittedly this isn’t something unique to the UK, many countries have changeable weather. The…
Data, General, Macro
Cutting through election data
by Saeed Amen •
There’s an election soon in early November, which might have been mentioned at least a couple of times, which everyone is talking about. The elections in Nicaragua. Ok, perhaps not quite that one, but at least it’s roughly on the right side of the world. The US presidential election is always a key event in…
Data, General, Macro
Technical analysis and alt data
by Saeed Amen •
Most times I go to a burger joint, I seem to be happy. Is there correlation or causation, when it comes to my state in these instances? I would argue that there is some causation going on here, in that going to burger joint makes me happy. I’m pretty sure, most folks would agree with…
General, Macro, Python
How to learn Python for finance
by Saeed Amen •
The question I get asked most is, what is your favourite burger joint? The answer.. well, you’ll have to ask me! The second question I get asked a lot, particularly in recent months, is how can I learn Python if I’m working in finance? I will endeavour to answer that question, updating and adding to…