Algorithmic Trading

Portfolio Management using Deep Reinforcement Learning ArXiv ID: 2405.01604 “View on arXiv” Authors: Unknown Abstract Algorithmic trading or Financial robots have been conquering the stock markets with their ability to fathom complex statistical trading strategies. But with the recent development of deep learning technologies, these strategies are becoming impotent. The DQN and A2C models have previously outperformed eminent humans in game-playing and robotics. In our work, we propose a reinforced portfolio manager offering assistance in the allocation of weights to assets. The environment proffers the manager the freedom to go long and even short on the assets. The weight allocation advisements are restricted to the choice of portfolio assets and tested empirically to knock benchmark indices. The manager performs financial transactions in a postulated liquid market without any transaction charges. This work provides the conclusion that the proposed portfolio manager with actions centered on weight allocations can surpass the risk-adjusted returns of conventional portfolio managers. ...

Multiblock MEV opportunities & protections in dynamic AMMs ArXiv ID: 2404.15489 “View on arXiv” Authors: Unknown Abstract Maximal Extractable Value (MEV) in Constant Function Market Making is fairly well understood. Does having dynamic weights, as found in liquidity boostrap pools (LBPs), Temporal-function market makers (TFMMs), and Replicating market makers (RMMs), introduce new attack vectors? In this paper we explore how inter-block weight changes can be analogous to trades, and can potentially lead to a multi-block MEV attack. New inter-block protections required to guard against this new attack vector are analysed. We also carry our a raft of numerical simulations, more than 450 million potential attack scenarios, showing both successful attacks and successful defense. ...

Detecting and Triaging Spoofing using Temporal Convolutional Networks ArXiv ID: 2403.13429 “View on arXiv” Authors: Unknown Abstract As algorithmic trading and electronic markets continue to transform the landscape of financial markets, detecting and deterring rogue agents to maintain a fair and efficient marketplace is crucial. The explosion of large datasets and the continually changing tricks of the trade make it difficult to adapt to new market conditions and detect bad actors. To that end, we propose a framework that can be adapted easily to various problems in the space of detecting market manipulation. Our approach entails initially employing a labelling algorithm which we use to create a training set to learn a weakly supervised model to identify potentially suspicious sequences of order book states. The main goal here is to learn a representation of the order book that can be used to easily compare future events. Subsequently, we posit the incorporation of expert assessment to scrutinize specific flagged order book states. In the event of an expert’s unavailability, recourse is taken to the application of a more complex algorithm on the identified suspicious order book states. We then conduct a similarity search between any new representation of the order book against the expert labelled representations to rank the results of the weak learner. We show some preliminary results that are promising to explore further in this direction ...

FinLlama: Financial Sentiment Classification for Algorithmic Trading Applications ArXiv ID: 2403.12285 “View on arXiv” Authors: Unknown Abstract There are multiple sources of financial news online which influence market movements and trader’s decisions. This highlights the need for accurate sentiment analysis, in addition to having appropriate algorithmic trading techniques, to arrive at better informed trading decisions. Standard lexicon based sentiment approaches have demonstrated their power in aiding financial decisions. However, they are known to suffer from issues related to context sensitivity and word ordering. Large Language Models (LLMs) can also be used in this context, but they are not finance-specific and tend to require significant computational resources. To facilitate a finance specific LLM framework, we introduce a novel approach based on the Llama 2 7B foundational model, in order to benefit from its generative nature and comprehensive language manipulation. This is achieved by fine-tuning the Llama2 7B model on a small portion of supervised financial sentiment analysis data, so as to jointly handle the complexities of financial lexicon and context, and further equipping it with a neural network based decision mechanism. Such a generator-classifier scheme, referred to as FinLlama, is trained not only to classify the sentiment valence but also quantify its strength, thus offering traders a nuanced insight into financial news articles. Complementing this, the implementation of parameter-efficient fine-tuning through LoRA optimises trainable parameters, thus minimising computational and memory requirements, without sacrificing accuracy. Simulation results demonstrate the ability of the proposed FinLlama to provide a framework for enhanced portfolio management decisions and increased market returns. These results underpin the ability of FinLlama to construct high-return portfolios which exhibit enhanced resilience, even during volatile periods and unpredictable market events. ...

Stress index strategy enhanced with financial news sentiment analysis for the equity markets ArXiv ID: 2404.00012 “View on arXiv” Authors: Unknown Abstract This paper introduces a new risk-on risk-off strategy for the stock market, which combines a financial stress indicator with a sentiment analysis done by ChatGPT reading and interpreting Bloomberg daily market summaries. Forecasts of market stress derived from volatility and credit spreads are enhanced when combined with the financial news sentiment derived from GPT-4. As a result, the strategy shows improved performance, evidenced by higher Sharpe ratio and reduced maximum drawdowns. The improved performance is consistent across the NASDAQ, the S&P 500 and the six major equity markets, indicating that the method generalises across equities markets. ...

Limit Order Book Simulations: A Review ArXiv ID: 2402.17359 “View on arXiv” Authors: Unknown Abstract Limit Order Books (LOBs) serve as a mechanism for buyers and sellers to interact with each other in the financial markets. Modelling and simulating LOBs is quite often necessary for calibrating and fine-tuning the automated trading strategies developed in algorithmic trading research. The recent AI revolution and availability of faster and cheaper compute power has enabled the modelling and simulations to grow richer and even use modern AI techniques. In this review we examine the various kinds of LOB simulation models present in the current state of the art. We provide a classification of the models on the basis of their methodology and provide an aggregate view of the popular stylized facts used in the literature to test the models. We additionally provide a focused study of price impact’s presence in the models since it is one of the more crucial phenomena to model in algorithmic trading. Finally, we conduct a comparative analysis of various qualities of fits of these models and how they perform when tested against empirical data. ...

Blockchain Metrics and Indicators in Cryptocurrency Trading ArXiv ID: 2403.00770 “View on arXiv” Authors: Unknown Abstract The objective of this paper is the construction of new indicators that can be useful to operate in the cryptocurrency market. These indicators are based on public data obtained from the blockchain network, specifically from the nodes that make up Bitcoin mining. Therefore, our analysis is unique to that network. The results obtained with numerical simulations of algorithmic trading and prediction via statistical models and Machine Learning demonstrate the importance of variables such as the hash rate, the difficulty of mining or the cost per transaction when it comes to trade Bitcoin assets or predict the direction of price. Variables obtained from the blockchain network will be called here blockchain metrics. The corresponding indicators (inspired by the “Hash Ribbon”) perform well in locating buy signals. From our results, we conclude that such blockchain indicators allow obtaining information with a statistical advantage in the highly volatile cryptocurrency market. ...

DeepTraderX: Challenging Conventional Trading Strategies with Deep Learning in Multi-Threaded Market Simulations ArXiv ID: 2403.18831 “View on arXiv” Authors: Unknown Abstract In this paper, we introduce DeepTraderX (DTX), a simple Deep Learning-based trader, and present results that demonstrate its performance in a multi-threaded market simulation. In a total of about 500 simulated market days, DTX has learned solely by watching the prices that other strategies produce. By doing this, it has successfully created a mapping from market data to quotes, either bid or ask orders, to place for an asset. Trained on historical Level-2 market data, i.e., the Limit Order Book (LOB) for specific tradable assets, DTX processes the market state $S$ at each timestep $T$ to determine a price $P$ for market orders. The market data used in both training and testing was generated from unique market schedules based on real historic stock market data. DTX was tested extensively against the best strategies in the literature, with its results validated by statistical analysis. Our findings underscore DTX’s capability to rival, and in many instances, surpass, the performance of public-domain traders, including those that outclass human traders, emphasising the efficiency of simple models, as this is required to succeed in intricate multi-threaded simulations. This highlights the potential of leveraging “black-box” Deep Learning systems to create more efficient financial markets. ...

ESG driven pairs algorithm for sustainable trading: Analysis from the Indian market ArXiv ID: 2401.14761 “View on arXiv” Authors: Unknown Abstract This paper proposes an algorithmic trading framework integrating Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) ratings with a pairs trading strategy. It addresses the demand for socially responsible investment solutions by developing a unique algorithm blending ESG data with methods for identifying co-integrated stocks. This allows selecting profitable pairs adhering to ESG principles. Further, it incorporates technical indicators for optimal trade execution within this sustainability framework. Extensive back-testing provides evidence of the model’s effectiveness, consistently generating positive returns exceeding conventional pairs trading strategies, while upholding ESG principles. This paves the way for a transformative approach to algorithmic trading, offering insights for investors, policymakers, and academics. ...

CNN-DRL with Shuffled Features in Finance ArXiv ID: 2402.03338 “View on arXiv” Authors: Unknown Abstract In prior methods, it was observed that the application of Convolutional Neural Networks agent in Deep Reinforcement Learning to financial data resulted in an enhanced reward. In this study, a specific permutation was applied to the feature vector, thereby generating a CNN matrix that strategically positions more pertinent features in close proximity. Our comprehensive experimental evaluations unequivocally demonstrate a substantial enhancement in reward attainment. ...