Overview
The fact that it is fully automated means that you will be able to use your time efficiently and to focus on the task at hand without the headache that can accompany building and coding models. Please note that, at this stage, we have implemented the moving averages models and crucial analysis tools pertinent to this model, namely, charting, strategy building and strategy backtesting for moving averages. The strategy being referred to is defined and explained in the moving averages tutorial. More trading models and strategies are under construction and will be made available in due course.
In the meantime, the below sections explain in detail how the spreadsheet works. We suggest you familiarise your self with its functionalities and, if you decide it is for you and you are happy to make the investment, you can come back and click the above button which will take you there directly. Please note that, included in the £29.99 (including taxes) cost of the TI Spreadsheet, is full access to the code including VBA and Python code. There are also open source libraries and dlls that are essential to run the spreadsheet. They are zipped and supplied in the same wrapper that delivers the TI Spreadsheet package to you after payment and download.
WORD OF CAUTION
To be able to run the TI Spreadsheet properly, you will be required to download and install open source libraries and dlls in the TI Spreadsheet Package. It is your responsibility to ensure that this action will not create conflicts of any sort on your device, for example, some libraries in the package can conflict with existing libraries on your device which can create problems for your existing applications. Moreover, you will be required to enable "Trust access to the VBA project object model" in "Macro Settings" in the "Trust Center Settings" of "Trust Center" in Excel "Options." Last but not least, VBA-Web is already installed in the spreadsheet to allow the execution of the VBA code that enables the automatic retrieval of stock prices from Yahoo!Finance. If you are apprehensive about any of the above, then we strongly advise against paying for and downloading the spreadsheet.
The below "TI Spreadsheet User Manual" and "TI Spreadsheet Installation Manual" are meant to give you an overview of what to expect from downloading the spreadsheet and using it. It is highly recommended that you read these manuals thoroughly before you make your final decision of whether to buy the TI Spreadsheet or not.
Worksheets
The TI Spreadsheet consists of worksheets, representing different functionalities. They are: README, Input, Historical Data, Testing, MA (model), Charts, Strategy BackTesting, and Strategy. Each sheet is generated automatically after you click the corresponding button on the Input sheet. We will be discussing each worksheet briefly below but the guide and slides in the following section provide an in-depth analysis with illustrations.
README WORKSHEET
This worksheet serves as an introduction to the spreadsheet. It briefly describes each worksheet in the workbook. It also cites relevant notes and warnings. Finally, it communicates the colour coding used in the spreadsheet. Please make sure you familiarise yourself with this worksheet as there are important points for you to take into consideration.
INPUT WORKSHEET
This worksheet is your door to the spreadsheet because this is where you update the model parameters and build functionality by clicking the corresponding button. It is divided into sections whereby each section corresponds to parameters pertinent to a particular functionality; however, it is possible for functionalities to share parameters. In a nutshell, you update the required parameters for a particular functionality, click the suitable button and the equivalent worksheet will be generated automatically.
HISTORICAL DATA WORKSHEET
This worksheet houses the complete dataset on which all calculation will rely. It can be either generated automatically through the Input worksheet or updated manually. If generated automatically, it will then be determined by the stock ticker and historical data dates that you set on the Input worksheet. On the other hand, if you prefer to update it manually, you can paste the dataset on this worksheet but make sure that you follow the same format and column headers. The analysis dataset, if different, will be extracted from this dataset, which will depend on the analysis data dates you specify on the Input worksheet.
MA (model) WORKSHEET
Model computations, currently the moving averages indicator (MA), are mostly performed behind the scenes using Python and VBA code. However, you also have the option of requesting manual calculation, in which case visible Excel formulae will be created automatically. The worksheet will, in fact, display the results of the model functions that you have chosen on the Input worksheet after defining the corresponding parameters. You can compare the values on this worksheet. Those corresponding to the same approach, e.g. SMA, must be equal, which will also prove the accuracy of these values.
CHARTS WORKSHEET
This worksheet plots the price vs model values, in this case MA, across time. Contrary to the platform implementation though, it is dependent on the MA (model) sheet so you need to make sure that the latter is set-up properly prior to generating the chart. The chart plot itself uses candlesticks for the stock price with the model (SMA or EMA) values superimposed on it as lines. This will help you visualise crossovers and understand the relevant trading strategies explained in the tutorials.
STRATEGY WORKSHEET
The Strategy worksheet illustrates to you the nitty gritty details behind a trading strategy calculation, which is presently Strategy I; you can find out more about this strategy by referring to the Moving Averages tutorial. This functionality is fully automated and only requires you to update the respective parameters and click the required button on the Input worksheet. You will notice that there are three blocks of calculation on the Strategy worksheet, each corresponding to a different implementation tool (Excel formulae, VBA and Python code). All three blocks should produce the same results. They are there to grant you extra reassurance of the correctness of the values that you see on this worksheet.
STRATEGY BACKTESTING WORKSHEET
This worksheet displays the results for the strategy backtesting computation. The strategy backtesting calculation uses historical data to back-test a trading strategy by optimising certain parameters such that the strategy returns or P&L (profit and Loss) is maximised. Again, Strategy I is currently the trading strategy in focus; to brush up on strategy backtesting theory and application, you may like to refer to the Strategy Backtesting tutorial. This is also where the Strategy worksheet comes in handy. As the calculation behind backtesting is invisible, the Strategy worksheet will illustrate what would be going on in the background.
Guide
Now that you have had a brief overview of the basic functionality of each worksheet, you may like to further explore the spreadsheet. This section does exactly that! The user manual takes you through the details of the worksheets. Alternatively, the below presentation gives you a quick overview of what to expect.
First things first though! Before getting your hands dirty with the functionality on offer, you need to download the spreadsheet. But the TI Spreadsheet can only accessed through the TI Platform. Luckily, accessing the platform cannot be easier.
- Click the "TI Platform" button above to follow the link and this will take you to the platform's login page.
- If it is your first time, you need to register before you can use the platform. To do so, scroll down and click "register."
- All you need to do is to provide your name and email address, and tick a couple of boxes to accept legal statements. We will then send a password to your email address.
- You must use this password and your email address to sign into the platform. And you're in!
- Once you're in, you need to click on "Calculations" on the left hand side, and choose "All calculations" from the drop-down list.
- Click the "DOWNLOAD TI SPREADSHEET PACKAGE" button on the top right corner, and follow the instructions. The TI Spreadsheet and all essential files and libraries will be download in one zipped file after you make the payment.
However, before paying for and downloading the TI Spreadsheet, we strongly advise you to explore the below presentation as well as the user manual in depth to decide whether the spreadsheet is for you or not. An important thing to keep in mind is that the presentation will only provide you with a glimpse of the worksheets. The TI Spreadsheet User Manual, on the other hand, is a more informative guide of the spreadsheet and helps you to familiarise yourself better with the spreadsheet than the presentation does and, hence, make a sound decision. Moreover, you can download it for free on the below link on the right. We also suggest that you read and understand the Traders Island Website Terms and Conditions, in particular clause 9.1, before you pay for the TI Spreadsheet. Finally, the TI Spreadsheet requires few libraries to be installed in order for it to run. This is another matter that you need to think of in case you are strongly opposed to making changes on your device. You can find out exactly what to expect during installation in the below TI Spreadsheet Installation Manual.
The aim of the below presentation is to give you a preview of the various worksheets in the TI Spreadsheet. It is not meant to be a comprehensive guide. If you are more interested in a step-by-step explanation of how to use the spreadsheet, you may like to refer to the above user manual. Alternatively, you may prefer to review the sections on spreadsheet notes in the Moving Averages or Strategy Backtesting tutorials. In fact, there is a lot of common slides between the below presentation and these in the spreadsheet notes of the tutorials with the latter being more comprehensive. So, if you are comfortable with those, you do not need to go through the below presentation.
FAQs
Do you have a question on the TI Spreadsheet and how it compares to the TI Platform? Check out the answers to some popular questions below. Alternatively, write to us!
Do I need to have a good grasp of moving averages and strategy backtesting before venturing into the TI Spreadsheet?
It is advisable that you at least skim through the tutorials. These tutorials do not just introduce you to the theory (and you may not need the theory indeed!) but also they take you through step-by-step applications that you can utilise when using the TI Spreadsheet.
What is the difference between the TI Platform and the TI Spreadsheet?
Both tools offer the same basic functionality. The TI Spreadsheet offers you an extra functionality to test the code in an automated manner when some parameters change. Moreover, whilst the TI Spreadsheet is downloadable on your personal device for a small fee, the TI Platform is provided free of charge, albeit it can only be accessed online through the website.
Before You Go...
Moving Average
Take me back to the Moving Averages tutorial. I would like to brush up on moving averages and the corresponding strategies!
Strategy Backtesting
Take me back to the backtesting tutorial. I would like to understand this concept really well before exploring applications!
The TI Platform
I am comfortable with the spreadsheet but I would like to find out more about the platform before I decide which tool is for me.