Today a very sophisticated systematic (quantitative) trader said “Discretionary trading wasn’t around before the 1980’s.” I am still stunned. Maybe he is 22 years old or something…. but can anyone explain this to me? He might have met “money managed in a discretionary manner” but still…….

Uh…. up almost 1000 points at the relative speed of light?

The pace of the markets has changed a bit wouldn’t you say?

In other words, take a quant driven hedge fund, add an intraday momentum algorithm, put a server at the exchange and HOLD ON for dear life. For now let’s call this “quants on the run.”

Being one to use speed and rhythm in addition to price and volume to read the markets it is a bit like being on the world’s newest and fastest roller-coaster … but it also gives enormous opportunity to catch a? trend and make a day, week, month or year…. and lots of very sophisticated traders are trying to do just that.

…something to keep in mind