Exposure, Positions, Trading History - everything you can monitor in Trade Processor

Author: Max Karasev

"Man is a Tool-using Animal; weak in himself, and of small stature, he stands on a basis, at most for the flattest-soled, of some half-square foot, insecurely enough; has to straddle out his legs, lest the very wind supplant him.

Feeblest of bipeds!

Three quintals are a crushing load to him; the steer of the meadow tosses him aloft, like a waste rag. Nevertheless he can use tools, can devise tools; with these the granite mountain melts into light dust before him; he kneads glowing iron, as if it were soft paste; seas are his smooth highway, winds and fire his unwearying steeds. Nowhere do you find him without tools; without tools he is nothing, with tools he is all."

Thomas Carlyle

Like in any other sphere of human life, in running your brokerage business, the tools you use to do the work define how hard it will be for you and your team. It's hard to dig dirt with your bare hands, and it's hard to dig the data from your trade database using pure SQL.

It's all about the tools you use.

Today, we will review some powerful tools our bridge solution, Trade Processor, provides to work with data.

Data in Trade Processor

When you have a team running the dealing, it's essential to provide them with live data about current open volumes, trades, exposure, and history in a compact and easy-to-read format.

With our expertise in the field, the TFB team has designed specific places to aggregate and display this information in the most suitable way.

Here, we will cover 3 f such areas:

• Exposure - where a user can see the live volumes for different platforms and liquidity pools.
• Positions - where a user can find a complete list of all open positions for all platforms and liquidity pools.
• Trading History - where a user can view previously made deals, their relation to the operations on exchange, market data at the time of execution and lots of other things.

Exposure

The Exposure page is your go-to if you need to assess your current market positions quickly, analyse the performance of different assets, and make informed decisions on where to adjust your trading strategy. Whether tracking profits, managing risk, or spotting trends, this page offers all the tools you need to stay on top of your trading activity in real time.

Let's get right into it:

• Efficient Data Filtering: The Exposure page's intuitive UI lets you quickly filter data by platform, currency, aggregation pool, and more. You can also sort tables to focus on the most relevant symbols, giving you clear insights into your top assets and exposure.
• Monitor Key Symbols: Keep an eye on the Volumes by Symbol and Profits by Symbol diagrams. They give you a quick overview of which assets are driving your trading activity and where your profits (or losses) are coming from. It’s a great way to stay on top of market movements and adjust your strategy as needed.
• Detailed Exposure Table: The table below the diagrams is packed with useful data. The NET VOLUME column, highlighted in teal or red, shows whether your positions are more buy-heavy or sell-heavy. This helps you manage risk and ensure your trading positions align with your strategy. The PROFIT column is also crucial, letting you see at a glance which trades are paying off and which might need a rethink. The summary row at the bottom of the table gives you a quick overview of total profits, perfect for a fast end-of-day review or a check before making larger trading decisions.
• Risk Management: The Volumes by Symbol diagram is your go-to for checking that your exposure isn’t overly concentrated in one asset. Keeping a balanced portfolio is the key to managing risk; this feature helps you do just that.
• Spotting Trends: Use the data to spot patterns in trading behaviour. If you notice certain symbols consistently showing large net volumes or significant profits or losses, it might be a signal to dive deeper and adjust your approach.

Positions

The Positions page allows a brokerage team to monitor and manage all active trades in real time, ensuring they can swiftly respond to market changes, optimise trading strategies, and control their overall risk exposure. It’s an essential tool for making data-driven decisions that support both the brokerage’s profitability and client satisfaction.

• Risk Management: By monitoring open positions, brokers can assess their exposure to different assets and make adjustments to mitigate risk. Understanding the volume and direction of trades allows brokers to ensure they aren't overly exposed to any single asset or market movement.
• Performance Monitoring: The Positions page helps brokers track individual trades' performance, which is essential for managing client accounts and ensuring profitability. The ability to quickly see profits or losses on open positions allows brokers to make informed decisions on whether to hold or close positions.
• Operational Efficiency: With detailed filters and search options, brokers can quickly find specific positions or groups of positions, which is invaluable for handling inquiries, executing trading strategies, and managing a large number of trades across different platforms. The data team can easily cross-check positions between the Trading Platform, Trade Processor, and Exchange.
• Client Reporting: Brokers can use the summary data from this page to generate reports or provide clients with updates on the status of their positions, helping to maintain transparency and trust.

Trading History

The Trading History page is a powerful tool if you want to dive deep into past trades, analyse execution quality, track profitability, and ensure compliance with trading regulations. It's an essential resource for resolving disputes, optimising performance, and maintaining transparency with your clients.

• Detailed trade analysis: Clicking on any detail in the table provides in-depth details, including execution price, profit, and other key trade parameters. This is essential for brokers who need to review the specifics of a trade, troubleshoot any discrepancies, or analyse the execution quality provided by liquidity providers.
• Tracking Performance and Profitability: The summary row at the bottom gives you a quick view of total profits for the selected deals. This feature is great for evaluating the overall performance of a set of trades, especially when reviewing daily or weekly trading activities.
• Using LP Execution Data: The LP execution type filter allows you to differentiate between different execution types and analyse how different liquidity providers (LPs) are performing. This can help brokers decide which LPs offer the best execution and identify areas where improvements might be needed.
• Ensuring Compliance and Transparency: By reviewing trading history, brokers can ensure that all trades are executed according to the set rules and guidelines. This is particularly important for maintaining compliance with regulatory requirements and ensuring transparency with clients.
• Investigating Trading Issues: If there are any disputes or concerns about a specific trade, the detailed information available on this page provides the necessary data to investigate and resolve the issue. This helps in maintaining trust with clients and ensuring that all trades are handled fairly.
• Efficient Data Filtering: Just like on other pages, the Trading History page offers powerful filtering options that allow you to easily narrow down your search by platform, LP execution type, time frame, and other criteria. This makes it simple to zero in on the most relevant data and gain insights quickly, ensuring that you always have the information you need at your fingertips.

Final thoughts 

Just as Thomas Carlyle observed, tools elevate us beyond our natural limitations, transforming challenges into opportunities. In the world of trading, these platform pages – Exposure, Positions, and Trading History – are your essential tools.

Without them, the vast and complex landscape of the markets can feel overwhelming, but with them, you wield the power to shape your strategy, manage risks, and turn data into decisive action. Just as tools enabled humanity to conquer mountains and seas, these features empower you to navigate the financial markets with precision and confidence.

With these tools, you’re not just surviving the trading world – you’re mastering it.