Ebook Synthetics en HQ
Ebook Synthetics en HQ
Synthetic
Indices
by Vince Stanzione
Disclaimer
Information and strategies contained in this guide are intended
as educational information only and should not be used as a sole
trading guide. Currencies, stock index, or commodity prices can be
highly volatile and unpredictable. The past is not a guide to future
performance, and strategies that have worked in the past may not work
in the future. Digital options trading involves a high level of risk and
may not be suitable for all customers. The value of any trade, and the
income derived from it, can go down as well as up, and your capital is at
risk. Although due care has been taken in preparing this document, we
disclaim liability for any inaccuracies or omissions.
02 06
Why should synthetic indices Conclusions 26
be in your trading toolbox? 05
03 07
About Vince Stanzione 27
Platforms for trading synthetic
indices 07
08
1. Deriv Trader 07
2. Deriv MT5 14
Appendices
04
General points about
trading and Deriv 28
01
Introduction
This is a step-by-step guide on how to trade
synthetic indices, which are unique to Deriv.
Synthetic indices are unique indices more confident, you can start using a
that mimic real-world market volatility real trading account.
and liquidity risks which are often seen
The great advantage of using Deriv
in other financial markets. They are
services, which are available for
available for trading 24/7/365, and are
clients above the age of 18, is that
based on a cryptographically secure
you can start trading with just a
random number generator audited
small deposit. All the same, please
for fairness by an independent third
remember that trading can be addictive
party. Synthetic indices have been
and you need to be aware of its
traded for over 10 years with a proven
risks. Visit begambleaware.org for
track record for reliability and continue
more information. To give you more
to grow in popularity. Deriv offers a
measures of control, Deriv offers you
transparent and fair platform with
ways to place trading limits or entirely
continuous two-way pricing and does
exclude yourself from trading for a
not second-guess which side of the
certain period of time. To learn more,
trade you are going to take.
please visit Secure and responsible
You will be able to practise trading trading.
these markets with a demo account
so you can see them in action without
risking any money. As you become
How To Trade Synthetic Indices | Why should synthetic indices be in your trading toolbox? 05
02
Why should synthetic indices
be in your trading toolbox?
A good trader like a good plumber will have different tools in their toolbox to
tackle different jobs. Synthetic indices have a place in your trading as there are
many advantages to trading a synthetic index over a currency pair or traditional
financial indices such as the FTSE100 or Dow Jones.
• Synthetic indices on Deriv MT5 offer high leverage and tight spreads.
• They’re not affected by world events, real-world market, and liquidity risks.
• Synthetic indices are generated randomly and also audited for fairness by an
independent source.
• When trading synthetic indices on Deriv Trader, you’ll know your exact risk at
the outset, so no nasty surprises or margin calls.
• They’re ideal for automated trading with continuous quotes and no gaps.
How To Trade Synthetic Indices | Why should synthetic indices be in your trading toolbox? 06
• You have the ability to choose a range of synthetic markets with lower or higher
risk-reward characteristics.
• They’re ideal for technical trading on Deriv MT5, Deriv X, Deriv Go and cTrader,
and can be traded using MetaQuotes MT5 charting software and chart pattern
trading.
• Synthetic indices are ideal for small and large traders alike with deep liquidity
and fast order execution at any time of day or night.
• A stable, regulated, and established online trading service provider offers them.
• New synthetic indices are to be offered as Deriv heavily invests in research and
development.
How To Trade Synthetic Indices | Platforms for trading synthetic indices 07
03
Platforms for trading
synthetic indices
Deriv synthetic indices can be traded on various platforms to suit your own trading
style and experience. Here, we will start with Deriv Trader, which can be accessed
via Deriv.app on a desktop or a mobile device on a browser. We will then look at
MT5 (trading platforms may differ depending on the account type and clients’
country of residence) which gives you the widest choice of synthetic indices and
access to a full suite of professional trading tools.
Deriv Trader
Deriv Trader allows you
to trade directly from
the live chart. Deriv
provides a continuous
price feed for trading
Rise (UP) or Fall (Down)
as well as other ways to
trade a synthetic index.
Digital options is not offered to clients residing within the European Union.
How To Trade Synthetic Indices | Platforms for trading synthetic indices 08
Daily Reset Indices reset each day at midnight GMT. These are the Bear Market
Index and Bull Market Index.
The Volatility 10 Index has volatility set at 10% so the range of price movements
will be lower. At the other end of the spectrum, the Volatility 100 Index is set at
100%, so you will see fairly violent swings in prices which some systems and
traders prefer. The Volatility 100 Index is twice as volatile as the Volatility 50
Index, and four times as volatile as the Volatility 25 Index.
Digital options is not offered to clients residing within the European Union.
How To Trade Synthetic Indices | Platforms for trading synthetic indices 09
Be in control
With Deriv synthetic indices, you are in control of not only choosing the rate of
volatility but also deciding the length of the contract. This can range from ticks to
seconds to days.
With digital options, your trades settle automatically with no need to make a
closing trade. If the trade moves according to your prediction, any profit that
you make is added to your account balance automatically with no waiting for
settlement.
You can also have a number of trades open simultaneously. For example, you could
have a Rise (buy) trade on the Volatility 10 Index to settle in 1 hour and also have a
Fall (sell) trade on the same index to settle in 1 minute.
How To Trade Synthetic Indices | Platforms for trading synthetic indices 10
Rise/Fall Higher/Lower
Predict whether the exit spot will be Predict whether the exit spot will
strictly higher or lower than the entry be higher or lower than a price
spot at the end of the contract period. target (the barrier) at the end of the
contract period.
Matches/Differs Over/Under
Predict what number will be the last Predict whether the last digit of the last
digit of the last tick of a contract. The tick of a contract will be higher or lower
duration of this trade cannot exceed than a specific number. The duration of
10 ticks. this trade cannot exceed 10 ticks.
Digital options is not offered to clients residing within the European Union.
How To Trade Synthetic Indices | Platforms for trading synthetic indices 11
Here we see the Volatility 10 Index with the price moving higher. We can choose
our investment – in this case, $10 1 (that is our total risk) – the duration of the
trade – in this case, 5 ticks 2 – and the direction of movement we predict for the
market – in this case, Rise. 3
Digital options is not offered to clients residing within the European Union.
How To Trade Synthetic Indices | Platforms for trading synthetic indices 12
We can see that the index closed higher than the purchase price, and our $10
investment has now gained $9.53 for a profit of 95.3%, which is not a bad return
for a few seconds!
Notice the trade settles automatically after 5 ticks, so we don’t need to sell to
close. Also, notice that initially, the trade went against us. However, this does not
matter. It’s the closing price that is important. Neither does it matter if the final
price is just marginally higher than the purchase price. We are still paid out.
Each trade, even if the trading capital is small, is given a unique reference ID
number for the opening and closing. This means that each trade has a full audit
trail that can be checked, so there is no way that the outcome can be manipulated
either by Deriv or the trader.
Digital options is not offered to clients residing within the European Union.
How To Trade Synthetic Indices | Platforms for trading synthetic indices 13
You can also close a trade early with some digital options if there is enough time
value left. In the image shown, Volatility 75 is still running and trade is going against
us. We can sell the contract and salvage some of the price paid for the trade.
Now, let’s take a look at an example of Over/Under. In this example, I predicted that
the last digit of the exit price would be above 1 for a 23.5% return. As you can see, it
was a winning trade as the end digit was 2.
Digital options is not offered to clients residing within the European Union.
How To Trade Synthetic Indices | Platforms for trading synthetic indices 14
Before we see how Deriv connects with MT5, let’s find out more about margin
trading, the type of trading you can do on MT5.
How To Trade Synthetic Indices | Platforms for trading synthetic indices 15
Margin trading
Margin trading allows you to make an investment using leverage. Now, what is
leverage? Leverage gives you the chance to make an investment which is larger
than your actual capital amount. A way to think of it is like a home loan or mortgage
where you put up 10%, and the bank provides the rest.
For example, you have $1,000 in your account but would like to buy $10,000 worth
of an index. Without leverage, this is impossible. But if a broker offers to boost your
purchase power, or in other words, give you leverage, your wish can come true.
Deriv offers up to 1:1000 leverage. With global interest rates remaining low, the
cost of borrowing money remains low and leverage proves to be cost-effective.
Leverage is offered at no extra charge.
Leverage magnifies your gains; of course, it will also magnify your losses. However,
with Deriv, it is not possible to go into a negative balance because we can apply
stop-out and forced liquidation measures to protect your account against losses
that might exceed your equity. All the same, when trading CFDs, it is important to
monitor your open positions closely because you may lose more than your initial
investment if the price moves against your prediction. You can use stop loss to limit
your risk.
Of course, just like a maximum speed limit, you don’t have to drive right at the
limit, and you don’t have to take your account to maximum margin.
Used sensibly, leverage can help to build up your account. Just be aware of the
downsides as well.
Now we know that the trading done on MT5 is leveraged. But there’s one more
thing that we should look at before going back to Deriv MT5 and that is the type of
contracts that you can purchase on this platform.
You can use a demo account to practise margin trading or switch to your real
account and trade CFDs for a real profit or loss.
How To Trade Synthetic Indices | Platforms for trading synthetic indices 17
In this example, you can see the volatility 10 chart and the Sell and Buy prices in
MT5. We can choose our trade size. In this case, I have $1 a point. In this index,
a point is 6,528.00 to 6,529.00. Imagine that I have sold $1 a point at 6,528.086
and the current price is 6,555.740 so I have a running loss of 27.65 points, which
in this case equals -$27.65.
As you can see on the left-hand side, the widest selection of synthetic indices and
multiple trades can be running concurrently.
Trading synthetic indices with Deriv on the MT5 platform gives you a high amount
of leverage.
How To Trade Synthetic Indices | Smarter trading of synthetic indices 19
04
Smarter trading of
synthetic indices
As a result, the best way forward to trade a synthetic index is by observing price
patterns which is commonly referred to as technical analysis or charting.
How To Trade Synthetic Indices | Smarter trading of synthetic indices 20
Candlestick charts
There are various types of charts that can be used to analyse synthetic indices.
However, to keep things simple we will look at candlestick charts here.
Candlestick charts are said to have been developed in the 18th century by the
legendary Japanese rice trader Homma Munehisa. The charts gave Homma and
others an overview of open, high, low, and close market prices over a certain
period. This method of charting prices proved to be particularly interesting and
helpful, due to its uncanny ability to display five data points at a time, instead of
just one. The method was picked up by Charles Dow circa 1900 and remains in
common use by today’s financial market traders.
Candlesticks are usually composed of the body, typically shaded in black or white
illustrating the opening and closing trades, and the wick, consisting of an upper
and lower shadow illustrating the highest and lowest traded prices during the time
interval represented.
If the asset has closed higher than it opened, the body is white. The opening price
is at the bottom of the body. The closing price is at the top. If the asset has closed
lower than it opened, the body is black. The opening price is at the top. The closing
How To Trade Synthetic Indices | Smarter trading of synthetic indices 21
price is at the bottom. A candlestick need not have either a body or a wick. Note
that in the examples shown throughout this book, we have used red for a down
candle instead of black, and green for an up candle Instead of white.
Timeframes
Depending on which timeframe you use in a chart, the trends and patterns will look
very different. Many traders examine multiple timeframes for the same currency
pair, such as the Volatility 100 index in one-minute, one-hour, and one-day charts.
Deriv offers comprehensive charts across different timeframes, ranging from very
short-term (i.e. mere ticks, or seconds) to one day.
Each candle represents one minute, and we see opportunities to profit from “up”
or “down” trades. We can go even shorter term into “ticks”; however, a tick chart
can only be displayed as a line chart.
How To Trade Synthetic Indices | Three states of a synthetic index market 22
05
Three states of a synthetic
index market
Now that you’ve become more familiar with charts and timeframes, you can see
that a synthetic index can only be in three states:
• Trend higher
• Trend lower
• Sideways range
How To Trade Synthetic Indices | Three states of a synthetic index market 23
Trend higher
The lows are becoming higher. The highs are also becoming higher. In other
words: whenever the market sells off, it rebounds at a higher price than the
previous time. This is considered to be “positive” or “bullish” activity because
market participants are willing to pay more than in the past.
Of course, no uptrend lasts forever, and we see the price falling outside the trend
lines and starting to move sideways in a range.
How To Trade Synthetic Indices | Three states of a synthetic index market 24
Trend lower
This is a downtrend: lows become lower, and highs become lower too. Any “up”
moves are quickly sold off, as the market is losing energy. A helpful analogy is a
boxer being knocked down gradually, taking longer and longer to get up each time.
How To Trade Synthetic Indices | Three states of a synthetic index market 25
Sideways range
Markets can also be dull or range-bound, with very little movement in either
direction. Such periods can last for weeks and sometimes months. Most traders
don’t profit from ranging markets. However with Deriv, you can trade and profit
from range markets.
Example
Here we see the Volatility 10 Index.
We are placing a trade, predicting that
the index will stay between 6,700 and
6,400 over the next 5 days with a return
of 23.8%. That is a fairly low risk trade.
06
Conclusion
I hope you found this short guide of use and that you will refer back to it in due course.
This book has shown the many ways synthetic indices can be traded on Deriv via
Deriv Trader, Deriv X, Deriv Go, cTrader and Deriv MT5. But please bear in mind that
synthetic indices are generated randomly and trading them is influenced by chance,
no matter how knowledgeable and skilful the trader is. Just remember that trading
can be addictive. Understand the risks and be in control.
Using Deriv services allows you to trade a great selection of markets. You will find
additional resources, charts, and tools on the deriv.com website.”
Vince Stanzione
How To Trade Synthetic Indices | About Vince Stanzione 27
07
About Vince Stanzione
Vince Stanzione has been trading
markets for over 30 years and is a self-
made multi-millionaire. He is the New
York Times bestselling author of The
Millionaire Dropout and is the author
of “Making Money from Financial
Spread Trading” course. He has been
quoted and featured favourably in
over 200 newspapers, media outlets
and websites including CNBC, Yahoo
Finance, Marketwatch, Reuters.com,
Independent, Sunday Independent,
Observer, Guardian, The Times, Sunday
Times, Daily Express, What Investment,
Growth Company Investor, New York
Times, Bullbearings, City Magazine,
Canary Wharf, Institutional Investor
China, and Shares Magazine.
08
Appendices
General points about trading and Deriv
Appendix A
Unlike some brokers that make it easy to deposit money yet hard to
withdraw, Deriv enables you to withdraw easily and securely. Please
note that while Deriv processes your withdrawal requests efficiently and
quickly, the period it might take banks or other financial institutions to
process withdrawals can be longer. Deriv tries to give you an estimate of
the total waiting time.
All your money is segregated and held in secure and licensed financial
institutions. In this way, in the unlikely event of Deriv becoming insolvent,
all your money will be returned to you because it is never merged with
Deriv’s.
How To Trade Synthetic Indices | Appendices - General points about trading and Deriv 29
Deriv has over 1.8 million trading accounts opened with more than 8
billion US dollars of total trade turnover, so you’re in good hands.
On a side note, if you place a trade and then for whatever reason, lose
internet connection, your trade still continues as it’s placed with the
Deriv servers. You can still check the outcome once your connection is
re-established. I had this happen to me whilst travelling in Thailand.
How To Trade Synthetic Indices | Appendices - General points about trading and Deriv 30
Appendix B
Once your real account is open, then set yourself a trading goal or
plan. Just keep in mind that trading should not be considered as a
means to earn a living, to solve financial problems, or to make financial
investments. Synthetic indices on Deriv are available round the clock, so
you can always come back to trade on Deriv in your leisure time.
How To Trade Synthetic Indices | Appendices - General points about trading and Deriv 31
Appendix C
Albert Einstein was once asked what mankind’s greatest invention was.
He replied: “Compound interest.” There’s even one claim that Einstein
called compound interest the “eighth wonder of the world.”
I have been in the trading business for over 35 years, and I started
small. It was through the power of compounding that I could build up to
where I am now. You need to understand compounding to perceive what
a powerful tool it can be. Below is an excerpt from one of my favourite
fables which sums this up. The same principle can be used when trading
with Deriv.
The daughter of the Chinese emperor was ill, and he promised riches
beyond compare to whoever could cure her. A young peasant named
Pong Lo entered the palace. With his wit and bravery, he restored the
Princess’ health and won her heart. As a reward, Pong Lo asked for her
hand in marriage. The emperor refused and asked Pong Lo to think of
anything else he would like.
“A grain of rice! That is nonsense! Ask me for fine silk, the grandest
room in the palace, a stable full of wild stallions – they shall be yours!”
exclaimed the emperor.
How To Trade Synthetic Indices | Appendices - General points about trading and Deriv 32
08
04
02
01
How To Trade Synthetic Indices | Appendices - General points about trading and Deriv 33
Risk too much, and a few bad trades will make you lose your trading bank.
Risk too little, and it’s going to be a long time before you see any decent
profits. As previously explained, money management does not have to
be very complicated, but a simple system will ensure that no single trade
can wipe out your trading account. The mistake many new traders make is
trying to grow their account too fast.
Trading with a demo account and trading with real money are not the
same. As in most walks of life, when real money is at stake, irrational
and instantaneous reactions might take over. Since trading can become
addictive, it is important to know how to stay in control and remain
reasonable especially when trading with real money. Besides reading
the following tips, please visit Secure and responsible trading and
begambleaware.org for more information.
It may not be possible to trade logically all the time; after all, we are
humans, with occasional impulsive decisions. But by using a system
and steadily applying practical experience, you can train your reasoning
powers to have a more permanent presence. Be careful about taking in
too much news and over-monitoring your position. It is easy to overreact
to a news story that may cause a short-term spike but is actually not
that important in the long run. Of course, news does not affect synthetic
indices, but you may also trade other markets via Deriv.
Using mobile devices and apps can cause you to make snap decisions
that you may later regret. The same sound judgment should be used with
all trade purchase decisions, no matter how or where they’re ultimately
executed.
How To Trade Synthetic Indices | Appendices - General points about trading and Deriv 34
Many still believe that in order to make money, the price of a share,
market, currency, or commodity must go up. However, this is not true. As
I have outlined in this guidebook, you can profit from up, down, and even
sideways movements, so don’t see falling markets as a negative.
Some people trade casually, and that is perfectly fine. Some approach
it with a more serious attitude. While I do not encourage you to view
trading as a means to earn a living, to solve financial problems, or to
make financial investments, and while I certainly don’t deny the role
of chance in trading, I do believe there are ways to trade more smartly,
especially when it comes to financial indices. See the tips under “Keep
your emotions in check and trade wisely”. For instance, keep solid
records of your winning and losing trades. A diary can help with this to
complement the tracking tools you’ll find on deriv.com, enabling you
to keep tabs on your winnings. Also, stick to a trading system to help
minimise emotional decision-making.
How To Trade Synthetic Indices | Appendices - General points about trading and Deriv 36
Appendix D
If you’re going through a bad run, then take a step back, reduce the
size of your trades, or maybe even go back to using a demo account for
a while. Deriv does not place a time limit on demo accounts, and you
can use your real and demo accounts side by side. In fact, since Deriv
is committed to responsible trading, it encourages you to use all of the
measures it offers to stay in control at all times.
Let’s say you start with a $1,000 account. If you limit your risk on any
one trade to 5% of the account, this practice would allow you to keep
trading, even with a bad run. Let’s observe this simple system in action.
Let’s say that – following a few losing trades – your account balance
decreases to $900; 5% of this amount would now be $45. If you
have had a good run, then your allowance per trade proportionately
increases.
Suppose you’ve had a few winning trades in a row and your account
balance has risen to $1,200; your 5% maximum per trade is now $60.
The key is that no one trade should ever blow your trading account.
If your account goes down 50%, how much do you need to put on the
line to get back to even? Most will say 50% to make up for the previous
losses, but here’s the problem: You would need the account to move
100% to make this strategy work. As any trader will tell you, this is a not
a wise approach.
How To Trade Synthetic Indices | Appendices - General points about trading and Deriv 38
Watch that ego. Don’t mistake a lucky run with skill. After a good run, many
become overconfident and start taking stupid risks. After a poor run, many
attempt to play catchup, trying to make their losses back fast. Both of
these slippery slopes are easy ways to lose your trading capital.
Appendix E
Technical analysis
Disclaimer: There is no guarantee that analysing the past performance
of the market, whether on financial or synthetic indices, can lead to
successfully predicting future market movements. These technical
analysis tools merely help to gain a better understanding of how markets
move and how such data can be analysed for a better informed decision
when trading. Please remember that trading always involves risk and you
should consider this when trading. Trading on synthetic indices is a game
of chance and skill does not affect the outcome of a trade.
Getting technical
Technical analysis ignores the news and economic data, focusing purely
on price trends and volume. It primarily involves studying chart patterns,
showing the trading history and statistics for whatever market is being
analysed. You would start with a basic price chart which would show
the indices trading price in the past and look for a trend or pattern that
could help determine future pricing. Let’s look at a few tools for technical
analysis in more detail.
you can begin to build up your knowledge. Deriv and MT5 offer access
to excellent complementary charts and tools with over 30 technical
indicators, but we will stick to three of the main ones here:
1. Moving averages
1. Moving averages
It’s hard to trace the precise origins of the moving average (MA),
although this concept is often attributed to Richard Donchian,
who was a great pioneer of systematic trading in the 1950’s
and 60’s. The methodologies that he developed over 40 years
ago still serve as the basis of many complex systems used by
the world’s best traders.
• Simple/arithmetic
• Exponential
• Triangular
• Variable
• Weighted
This strategy is built to run in Deriv Bot (DBot), a free tool for
creating and applying your own automated strategies. You can
use Deriv Bot to trade using both virtual and real money accounts.
For more information on Deriv Bot, see Appendix G.
2
Period is either 1 minute, 1 hour, or 1 day, depending on what timeframe you’re trading on.
How To Trade Synthetic Indices | Appendices - General points about trading and Deriv 44
You could also use a CFD trade which would remain open as long as
the price remains above the moving average (long trade). When it falls
below, you close the trade. You can also then open a new trade (short
trade).
How To Trade Synthetic Indices | Appendices - General points about trading and Deriv 45
For those looking for more signals and quicker trades, a simple moving
average can be used, with the timeframe adjusted from daily to much
shorter periods, such as one hour or even one minute. Thus, a “20-period
simple moving average” becomes the average of the last 20 minutes or
hours.
The advantage of this method is quicker results, with the moving average
being quite sensitive to price movements. The disadvantage is that you
receive more false signals with such a short timeframe selected, so it’s a
trade-off but still worth examining.
How To Trade Synthetic Indices | Appendices - General points about trading and Deriv 46
In the example below, the chart is set to daily bars and 20-day highs and
20-day lows. The line you see in the middle is the median line.
How To Trade Synthetic Indices | Appendices - General points about trading and Deriv 47
You can try out new ideas and systems on the Deriv platform or MT5 by
using a demo account or by purchasing minimum-size trades with a real
account. As little as one US dollar can be staked with your initial test
runs until you build up greater confidence in using a particular tool or
technique. Sometimes, an idea that seems quite logical on paper does
not actually work when applied to the real world of trading. Often, it’s
best to test out new strategies with actual market prices and your demo
account or just a small amount of real money to keep the risk as low
as possible. Then, if you’re happy with the results, you can increase to
bigger trade sizes. Keep in mind that overall, if a system is not working
on a small bet size, it’s hardly going to start working if you risk more. Use
your head; be smart.
How To Trade Synthetic Indices | Appendices - General points about trading and Deriv 48
Appendix F
Some of Deriv’s best clients are also its best affiliates. To find out more,
please visit https://deriv.com/partners/.
How To Trade Synthetic Indices | Appendices - General points about trading and Deriv 49
Appendix G
Deriv has a simple trading bot called Deriv Bot which allows you to input
your own trading rules with no computer programming skills. You can
also import ready-made strategies.
A simple system such as ‘buy when two simple moving averages cross’,
or ‘buy after 3 up ticks’ can be easily programmed in.
How To Trade Synthetic Indices | Appendices - General points about trading and Deriv 50
You can use Deriv Bot for trading Deriv synthetic indices too as the
trading software that third-party developers offer for Deriv Bot is
compatible with synthetic indices.
How To Trade Synthetic Indices | Appendices - General points about trading and Deriv 51
Appendix H
FAQs
Opening an account
Financial security
Today, Deriv has 20 offices worldwide with over 1300 employees from
over 50 countries working together to create an effortless online trading
experience with diversified, market-leading products.