The prefect system

      I stumbled upon some eye-opening information regarding the difference between retail and institutional trading charts, specifically the five footprint charts: Volume, Bid x Ask, Delta, Profile, and Imbalance charts. I discovered that many retail traders do not know how to use these charts effectively and rarely use them in their trading strategies.

The original creator of these charts was MarketDelta, which unfortunately went out of business with a bang just before the 2008 financial crisis. Interestingly, the man who created the charts for the first time was Trevor Harnett, an early computer trader who invented the footprint chart.

It is a shame that these powerful trading tools are often overlooked by retail traders, as they can provide valuable insights into market trends and price movements. However, institutional traders continue to use these charts extensively, giving them an advantage in the marketplace.

But it's not all bad news for retail traders. There are a variety of trading platforms and software available that provide access to these footprint charts, allowing retail traders to level the playing field. Some of the top platforms and software for accessing these charts include CQG, Rithmic, Trading Technologies, Investor/RT, and Jigsaw Trading.

Each platform has its own unique features and benefits, but they all provide access to the five footprint charts, making it easier for traders to incorporate them into their trading strategies.

In conclusion, understanding and using the five footprint charts can be a game-changer for traders, providing valuable insights into market trends and price movements. By utilizing the right trading platform and software, retail traders can gain access to these powerful tools and compete on a more level playing field with institutional traders.

       Retail trading is mostly done on an underwhelming platform with limited order types, charting tools, and the inability to participate in after-hours and pre-market trading. Retail traders are missing key features such as bracket orders, trading stop losses, and advanced charting tools like the five footprint charts we discussed earlier. This puts them at a significant disadvantage compared to institutional traders who have access to advanced trading platforms with a wide range of order types and charting tools. Additionally, institutional traders are able to participate in after-hours and pre-market trading, giving them the ability to react to news and events that occur outside of regular trading hours. The retail trading platform landscape is improving, but many retail traders are still using outdated platforms that limit their ability to trade effectively. 

      Here are some detailed explanations of how to fill out each order form:

Bracket order 1:

• Buy at market with a stop loss and take profit limit:
  • The first step is to select the stock or instrument you wish to trade and set the order type to "Bracket".
  • Next, set the order action to "Buy" and enter the quantity of shares or contracts you wish to purchase.
  • Set the order duration to "Day" or "GTC" (good-till-cancelled) depending on how long you want the order to remain active.
  • Set the order price to "Market" to execute the trade at the current market price.
  • Enter the stop loss price, which is the price at which you want to sell the stock to minimize losses. This should be below the current market price.
  • Enter the take profit limit price, which is the price at which you want to sell the stock to secure profits. This should be above the current market price.

Bracket order 2:

• Buy at market with a trailing stop loss and take profit limit:
  • Start by selecting the stock or instrument you want to trade and set the order type to "Bracket".
  • Then set the order action to "Buy" and enter the quantity of shares or contracts you wish to purchase.
  • Set the order duration to "Day" or "GTC" depending on how long you want the order to remain active.
  • Set the order price to "Market" to execute the trade at the current market price.
  • Enter the take profit limit price, which is the price at which you want to sell the stock to secure profits. This should be above the current market price.
  • Set the trailing stop loss, which is an order to sell the stock if the price falls a certain percentage or dollar amount from its highest point since you bought it.

Modifying bracket orders:

• Once you have entered a bracket order, you can modify it while in the trade.
• To modify the stop loss, take profit limit, or trailing stop loss, simply right-click on the order in your open orders list and select "Modify".
• Then change the values of the order as desired and submit the modifications.

Note: The exact process for filling out a bracket order may vary depending on the trading platform and broker you are using. Always consult the platform's documentation or contact customer support if you are unsure about how to place or modify an order.

      Institutions, unlike retail traders, have the ability to modify their orders during the pre-market and after-hours sessions. This gives them a significant advantage in reacting to news or events that occur outside of regular trading hours.

For example, let's say an institutional trader has a bracket order to buy a stock at $100 with a stop loss at $95 and a take profit limit at $110. However, the stock suddenly drops to $90 during the pre-market session due to a negative earnings report. The trader can modify the order to adjust the stop loss and take profit limit accordingly.

To modify the order, the institutional trader would go to their trading platform and locate the open order for the stock. They would then select the option to modify the order and input the new parameters. In this case, the trader may want to adjust the stop loss to $85 and the take profit limit to $95 to minimize losses and lock in profits.

In contrast, retail traders typically cannot modify their orders during pre-market or after-hours trading, which puts them at a disadvantage. They are limited to the order parameters they set at the beginning of the regular trading session and cannot react quickly to unexpected news or events.

Overall, the ability to modify orders during pre-market and after-hours trading gives institutions a significant advantage in the market and highlights the importance of having access to advanced trading platforms with sophisticated order types and features.

      Here is a list of 57 difforent platforms I found using AI.

• AMP Futures
• ATAS
• Bloomberg Terminal
• BookMap
• Charles River Development
• Charles Schwab
• CME (Chicago Mercantile Exchange)
• CBOT (Chicago Board of Trade)
• COMEX (Commodity Exchange)
• cTrader
• dxFeed Bookmap
• E*TRADE
• Edge Wonk
• Eikon (Thomson Reuters)
• eSignal
• Fidessa
• FinViz
• Firetip X
• FlexTrade
• ICE (Intercontinental Exchange)
• Interactive Brokers
• Investor/RT
• Itiviti
• J-Trader
• Jigsaw Trading
• MarketDelta
• MarketDelta Cloud
• Market Profile Trading Academy
• MetaTrader 4 (MT4)
• MetaTrader 5 (MT5)
• MZpack
• MultiCharts
• MotiveWave
• NinjaTrader
• OEC Trader
• Optuma
• OrderFlowDashPro
• Portware
• ProRealTime
• Quantower
• Redline Trading Solutions
• Rithmic
• Robinhood
• Sierra Chart
• Stage 5 Trading
• Sterling Trader Pro
• TC2000
• ThinkorSwim
• Trading Technologies
• TradingView
• TrendSpider
• Volfix
• Wave59
• XTick

     Of this list. Now see two sepret list. One for retail and one for institutions. 

37 for retail 

21 for institutions

1. Sierra Chart
2. NinjaTrader
3. TradeStation
4. ThinkorSwim
5. FinViz
6. TradingView
7. Interactive Brokers
8. TD Ameritrade
9. E*TRADE
10. Charles Schwab
11. Robinhood
12. MotiveWave
13. MultiCharts
14. Optuma
15. ProRealTime
16. eSignal
17. ATAS
18. BookMap
19. XTick
20. MZpack
21. OrderFlowDashPro
22. Quantower
23. TrendSpider
24. AMP Futures
25. Infinity Futures
26. Stage 5 Trading
27. Tradovate
28. Firetip X
29. J-Trader
30. dxFeed Bookmap
31. Edge Wonk
32. Market Profile Trading Academy
33. MetaTrader 4 (MT4)
34. MetaTrader 5 (MT5)
35. cTrader
36. Volfix
37. TC2000

Institutional:

1. Trading Technologies
2. CQG
3. MarketDelta
4. Investor/RT
5. Jigsaw Trading
6. Rithmic
7. Bloomberg Terminal
8. Thomson Reuters Eikon
9. Fidessa
10. FlexTrade
11. Portware
12. Charles River Development
13. Itiviti
14. Redline Trading Solutions
15. MarketDelta Cloud
16. CME (Chicago Mercantile Exchange)
17. CBOT (Chicago Board of Trade)
18. NYMEX (New York Mercantile Exchange)
19. COMEX (Commodity Exchange)
20. ICE (Intercontinental Exchange)
21. Eurex.

      Now I will provide the list showing what each platform offers of the five footprint charts.

            Retail: 

1. Sierra Chart - Volume, Bid x Ask, Delta, Profile, and Imbalance charts. Offers 5/5.
2. NinjaTrader - Volume, Bid x Ask, Delta, Profile, and Imbalance charts. Offers 5/5.
3. TradeStation - Volume, Bid x Ask, Delta, Profile, and Imbalance charts. Offers 5/5.
4. ThinkorSwim - Volume, Delta, Profile, and Imbalance charts. Offers 4/5.
5. FinViz - None. Offers 0/5.
6. TradingView - Volume, Bid x Ask, Delta, Profile, and Imbalance charts. Offers 5/5.
7. Interactive Brokers - Volume, Bid x Ask, Delta, Profile, and Imbalance charts. Offers 5/5.
8. TD Ameritrade - Volume, Bid x Ask, Delta, Profile, and Imbalance charts. Offers 5/5.
9. E*TRADE - Volume, Delta, Profile, and Imbalance charts. Offers 4/5.
10. Charles Schwab - Volume, Delta, Profile, and Imbalance charts. Offers 4/5.
11. Robinhood: None
12. MotiveWave: Volume, Delta, Profile, and Imbalance charts. Offers 4/5.
13. MultiCharts: Volume, Delta, Profile, and Imbalance charts. Offers 4/5.
14. Optuma: Volume, Delta, Profile, and Imbalance charts. Offers 4/5.
15. ProRealTime: Volume, Delta, Profile, and Imbalance charts. Offers 4/5.
16. eSignal: Bid x Ask, Volume, Delta, Profile, and Imbalance charts. Offers 5/5.
17. ATAS: Bid x Ask, Volume, Delta, Profile, and Imbalance charts. Offers 5/5.
18. BookMap: Bid x Ask, Volume, Delta, and Imbalance charts. Offers 4/5.
19. XTick: Bid x Ask, Volume, Delta, Profile, and Imbalance charts. Offers 5/5.
20. MZpack: Bid x Ask, Volume, Delta, Profile, and Imbalance charts. Offers 5/5.

      21. OrderFlowDashPro - Volume, Bid x Ask, Delta, Profile, and Imbalance charts. Offers 5/5.

      22. Quantower - Volume, Bid x Ask, Delta, Profile, and Imbalance charts. Offers 5/5.

      23. TrendSpider - Volume, Bid x Ask, Delta, Profile, and Imbalance charts. Offers 5/5.

      24.AMP Futures - Volume, Bid x Ask, Delta, Profile, and Imbalance charts. Offers 5/5.

      25.Infinity Futures - Volume, Bid x Ask, Delta, Profile, and Imbalance charts. Offers 5/5.

      26. Stage 5 Trading - Volume, Bid x Ask, Delta, Profile, and Imbalance charts. Offers 5/5.

      27. Tradovate - Volume, Bid x Ask, Delta, Profile, and Imbalance charts. Offers 5/5.

      28. Firetip X - Volume, Bid x Ask, Delta, Profile, and Imbalance charts. Offers 5/5.

      29. J-Trader - Volume, Bid x Ask, Delta, Profile, and Imbalance charts. Offers 5/5.

      30. dxFeed Bookmap - Volume, Bid x Ask, Delta, Profile, and Imbalance charts. Offers 5/5.

      31. Edge Wonk - None. Offers 0/5.

      32. Market Profile Trading Academy - None. Offers 0/5.

      33. MetaTrader 4 (MT4) - None. Offers 0/5.

      34. MetaTrader 5 (MT5) - None. Offers 0/5.

      35. cTrader - None. Offers 0/5.

      36. Volfix - None. Offers 0/5.

      37. TC2000 - None. Offers 0/5.

       Institutional:

• 1. Trading Technologies - Volume, Bid x Ask, Delta, Profile, and Imbalance charts. Offers 5/5.
• 2 .CQG - Volume, Bid x Ask, Delta, Profile, and Imbalance charts. Offers 5/5.
• 3. MarketDelta - Volume, Bid x Ask, Delta, Profile, and Imbalance charts. Offers 5/5.
• 4. Investor/RT - Volume, Bid x Ask, Delta, Profile, and Imbalance charts. Offers 5/5.
• 5. Jigsaw Trading - Volume, Delta, and Imbalance charts. Offers 3/5.
• 6. Rithmic - Volume, Bid x Ask, Delta, Profile, and Imbalance charts. Offers 5/5.
• 7. Bloomberg Terminal - Volume, Bid x Ask, Delta, and Imbalance charts. Offers 4/5.
• 8. Thomson Reuters Eikon - Volume, Bid x Ask, Delta, and Imbalance charts. Offers 4/5.
• 9. Fidessa - Volume, Bid x Ask, and Delta charts. Offers 3/5.
• 10.FlexTrade - Volume and Bid x Ask charts. Offers 2/5.

        11. Portware - None.

       12. Charles River Development - None.

       13. Itiviti - None.

      14. Redline Trading Solutions - None.

      15. MarketDelta Cloud - Volume, Bid x Ask, Delta, Profile, and Imbalance charts. Offers 5/5.

      16. CME (Chicago Mercantile Exchange) - None (CME is an exchange and does not provide a    .           trading platform).    

      17. CBOT (Chicago Board of Trade) - None (CBOT is an exchange and does not provide a trading platform).

      18. NYMEX (New York Mercantile Exchange) - None (NYMEX is an exchange and does not provide a trading platform).

      19. COMEX (Commodity Exchange) - None (COMEX is an exchange and does not provide a trading platform).

      20. ICE (Intercontinental Exchange) - None (ICE is an exchange and does not provide a trading platform).

     21.Eurex - None.