Any spread betting sites that have web service access?

[DimPrawn]

Hi,

I have a daft idea to use an automated program to place and close spread bets for me. Therefore I need a company that offers a spread betting service that has an automated interface (ideally Web Service).

Does such a thing exist or is everyone expected to sit at a browser 24/7 making and closing bets?

TIA

DP

[Moscow Mule]

igindex have a java app that runs on a mobile. So I assume there must be a webservice behind it somewhere.

Either you could ask those nice chaps if they'd expose it for you (oo err missus) or you could get hold of the java app and try to spoof it.

[ChimpMaster]

Silly question maybe but why not just set Limit Orders?

Otherwise Barclays have an online platform, but they're not the cheapest broker to use.

[yellow]

Might be worth looking at Betfair who have an API you could expose:

http://bdp.betfair.com/

[DimPrawn]

Might be worth looking at Betfair who have an API you could expose:

http://bdp.betfair.com/

Sadly, I'm looking at Financial Spread Betting and not a flutter on the horses.

[KentPhilip]

There is an American broker:

www.tradestation.com

where you can run a program in a language called "EasyLanguage" that trades for you automatically depending upon market values and indicators etc.

I think it might allow external data input, from reading text files.

But I think trading is a mugs game - I've never found a strategy that provides a positive expectancy for returns. All the back-testing I've ever done has returned approximately neutral.

But I'm still searching.

[Clippy]

There is an American broker:

www.tradestation.com

where you can run a program in a language called "EasyLanguage" that trades for you automatically depending upon market values and indicators etc.

I think it might allow external data input, from reading text files.

But I think trading is a mugs game - I've never found a strategy that provides a positive expectancy for returns. All the back-testing I've ever done has returned approximately neutral.

But I'm still searching.

Perhaps your not very good at it.

[DaveB]

Perhaps your not very good at it.

Nobody is, thats why tracker funds consistently outperform managed funds over the middle to long term. In the short term it's either inside knowledge or luck.

[DimPrawn]

Nobody is, thats why tracker funds consistently outperform managed funds over the middle to long term. In the short term it's either inside knowledge or luck.

[Frep D'Oronge]

But I think trading is a mugs game - I've never found a strategy that provides a positive expectancy for returns. All the back-testing I've ever done has returned approximately neutral.

But I'm still searching.

On a side note, does anyone know of a source for historical financial data? even if it is as coarse as daily open/close/high/low/volume? This is for offline 'back-testing' - I'm hoping there is somewhere where I can download a big fat text file for free.