Can I still use the account when an algorithm is using it for trading?

Quantopian's community platform is shutting down. Please read this post for more information and download your code.

Back to Community

Can I still use the account when an algorithm is using it for trading?

posted Aug 8, 2017

Hello, I am new here, I been developing algorithms for the last few months but only papper trading and back testing; and I am very interested to go live with one of my algos on Robin Hood to test it.
The porpuse of my algorithm is to once a day buy or sell stocks that match a basic criteria, wich I normally do anyway.

If I enable the algorithm on Robin Hood, and let say that I already have some stocks, will the algorithm interact with them?
Would I be able to sell a stock that the algo bought if I dont like it at the moment?
If I am able to use the account, would it affect the algorithm in a negative way?

Thanks!

3 responses

Go for it! Quantopian and Robinhood play pretty well together. You can freely manually trade, deposit funds, and withdraw funds in Robinhood while an algorithm is running.

You can always manually sell any stocks which your algorithm buys (or vice versa). Of course you should be mindful of how the algorithm will react. It may well go ahead and buy that same stock again tomorrow.

From a practical standpoint though, you should avoid any temptation to manually trade in the same account. One probably backtested a strategy and felt that it worked pretty well so don't go to the dark side and second guess your efforts by manually over-riding it. If an algorithm doesn't trade as expected (or desired) then stop the algorithm. Make any changes. Then restart the algorithm. If positions are manually adjusted outside of the algorithm, then any backtests or analysis of the algorithm becomes meaningless.

Thanks! I was just asking because there are some times that I dont want to hold a stock (during earnings call) and I was worried about that only :) but I will go for it then, thanks!

You can make the algorithm avoid trading stocks around the earnings call periods by using one of the premium data sets. I've seen sample algorithms on here that use that strategy.

You've successfully submitted a support ticket.

Our support team will be in touch soon.

Need help? Contact support.

The material on this website is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation to buy, or a recommendation or endorsement for any security or strategy, nor does it constitute an offer to provide investment advisory services by Quantopian.

In addition, the material offers no opinion with respect to the suitability of any security or specific investment. No information contained herein should be regarded as a suggestion to engage in or refrain from any investment-related course of action as none of Quantopian nor any of its affiliates is undertaking to provide investment advice, act as an adviser to any plan or entity subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, individual retirement account or individual retirement annuity, or give advice in a fiduciary capacity with respect to the materials presented herein. If you are an individual retirement or other investor, contact your financial advisor or other fiduciary unrelated to Quantopian about whether any given investment idea, strategy, product or service described herein may be appropriate for your circumstances. All investments involve risk, including loss of principal. Quantopian makes no guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of the views expressed in the website. The views are subject to change, and may have become unreliable for various reasons, including changes in market conditions or economic circumstances.

About Quantopian

The material on this website is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation to buy, or a recommendation or endorsement for any security or strategy, nor does it constitute an offer to provide investment advisory services by Quantopian.

In addition, the material offers no opinion with respect to the suitability of any security or specific investment. No information contained herein should be regarded as a suggestion to engage in or refrain from any investment-related course of action as none of Quantopian nor any of its affiliates is undertaking to provide investment advice, act as an adviser to any plan or entity subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, individual retirement account or individual retirement annuity, or give advice in a fiduciary capacity with respect to the materials presented herein. If you are an individual retirement or other investor, contact your financial advisor or other fiduciary unrelated to Quantopian about whether any given investment idea, strategy, product or service described herein may be appropriate for your circumstances. All investments involve risk, including loss of principal. Quantopian makes no guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of the views expressed in the website. The views are subject to change, and may have become unreliable for various reasons, including changes in market conditions or economic circumstances.