How to Trade Stock Indices on MT4 Software
The following MetaTrader 4 Indices Trading Platform screen shot below shows Metaquotes MetaTrader 4 Indices Trading Platform. As a beginner trader trying to learn how to trade the stock indices trading market - the first you will need to learn is How to Use MetaTrader 4 Indices Trading Platform - How to Trade Stock Indices on MT4 - How to Use MT4 Indices Trading Platform Tutorial: Indices MT4 Download. MT4 Indices Trading Platform is the indices trading platform software that you will use to connect to your online indices broker with & execute indices trade transactions & monitor your indices trading account balance.
The MT4 is provided for free byMT4 indices trading brokers. Indices Trading Tutorial MT4 - This MetaTrader 4 platform platform looks like the stock indices example explained below:
Main Areas of this MT4 Indices Platform as described above are:
- Navigation Menus
- Toolbars
- Chart Window
- Navigator
- Market Watch
- Terminal
- Connection Bars
Indices Trading Tutorial MT4 - How to Use MT4 Indices Trading Platform Tutorial:
1. Navigation Menus
The navigation menus are:
- File
- View
- Insert
- Charts
- Tools
- Window
- Help
These are the main MT4 navigation menus which can be used to navigate MetaTrader 4 software.
These navigation menus will be discussed in details in the next How to Use MT4 Indices Trading Platform Lesson about navigation menus.
2. Toolbars
The MetaTrader 4 tool bars are used to place indices trading tools on stock indices charts, stock indices traders can place indicators on MetaTrader 4 stock indices charts, place line studies on MetaTrader 4 stock indices charts, change indices chart timeframes and load a saved MetaTrader 4 template from a list of saved templates.
These MT4 tool bars will be discussed on other How to Use MT4 Indices Trading Platform Tutorials which will outline each button key on each MetaTrader 4 tool-bar & explain how to add and customize these tool bars in MetaTrader 4 platform.
3. Chart Panel
This is the main MetaTrader 4 platform area where stock indices charts are displayed & a trader can analyze the indices trend direction of a stock indices chart whether up or down, place stock indices indicators for technical analysis and even place orders from these stock indices charts.
4. Navigator
Navigator panel will contain data about stock indices accounts, whether demo indices trading account or real account, this window will also have a list of all the MetaTrader 4 technical indicators as well as Expert-Advisors & scripts.
A trader can choose which stock indices trading account to log in by expanding the Accounts menu, choose an technical indicator by expanding the indicator menu or chose an EA by expanding the EA menu.
5. Market Watch
Market watch is used to show streaming stock indices quotes for indices. This Market Watch window can list as many stock indices quotes provided by your indices broker or a few chosen by a trader.
6. Terminal
This is the panel that's like the indices trading account transaction area for your indices trade transactions, on this panel you can view your balance, profit & losses statement, equity, margin used also retrieve a copy of all your indices trade transactions history.
This will also list all open indices trading transactions and calculate all the profit and loss in realtime as a stock indices prices move upwards or downwards.
7. Connection Bar
Red bars are for no connectivity, green bars show that there is connection to the servers & indices trade orders can be placed. These connection bars should always be green when a trader is logged into their practice indices account or live stock indices trading account.
These main areas form the MT4 interface and will be the main areas to be covered in detail in the next How to Use MT4 Indices Trading Platform Tutorial. For now it is best to download MetaTrader 4 platform and familiarize yourself with the MT4 platform interface.
Why Indices Trading Software Platform is Required for Placing Indices Trade Transactions with Brokers
Indices platform is software that is used to access the stock indices market and interpret these stock indices trading price movements using technical analysis stock indices indicators and tools. There are various reasons why one requires to use a good indices platform. A good indices software can determine if a as a trader you make profit or not.
So why does a trader need a good platform:
To connect to the Trading Server:
To place a indices order a trader needs to use a indices trading software which will connect to the trading servers of their stock indices broker & allow them to open & close trading orders. Good indices platforms will connect with ease to the brokers' servers & allow stock indices traders to place stock indices trade orders at any time from their desktop computer PC.
To analyze indices charts using technical analysis technical indicators
To place buy or sell order a trader needs to first analyze the direction of indices. This is why all good indices trading softwares provide stock indices technical analysis tools such as stock indices trading price charts, indices indicators and various different chart time-frames from which one-can analyze stock indices trading price moves using the stock indices chart timeframes of their choice.
From above MetaTrader 4 Indices Trading Platform inter-face, the summary of all information required by a trader is provided on this MetaTrader 4 Indices Trading Platform interface
- Connection - connection to the broker servers
- Charts - stock indices trading price graphs that display indices prices
- Tool-bars - tool-bars to add indices tools and stock indices technical analysis technical indicators
- Market Watch - for displaying available financial instruments
- Data window - provides indices account data & other indicator data
- Exchange rates - shows current market stock indices trading price
- Menu bar - Shows all menu items in MetaTrader 4 Platform
