TRADING & FINANCIAL MARKET ANALYSIS 2015 CAREER TRADING WITH AMPLIFY TRADING

TRADING & FINANCIAL MARKET ANALYSIS 2015

Placed at the forefront of current financial market volatility, London based trading firm Amplify Trading delivers an invaluable opportunity for new traders to develop a well-respected practical skill-set in today’s financial industry and an in-depth understanding of today’s financial markets.

Building on fifteen years of trading experience Amplify Trading has developed an industry leading training operation adjacent to its trading arm. The quality of Amplify’s training is validated by the fact that we are now integral to the graduate training programmes at leading investment banks such as HSBC, Bank of America, Deutsche Bank and JPMorgan where Amplify is brought in to help prepare their new

employees for roles within capital markets. Amplify Trading has worked hard to build a

reputation of excellence and professionalism

within the industry, and we continuously strive to exceed the expectations of all our clients.

The following pages detail the career trading programme where candidates spend a minimum of three months on their own trading desk based on our trading floor. Career traders will have the opportunity to spend at least four weeks trading on the live markets fully backed by Amplify Trading and receive a competitive profit share from their trading activity.

Our aim in this programme is to help candidates become consistently profitable in the live markets as they manage their risk trading across multiple asset classes backed by Amplify Trading. We have developed our live traders through this programme and believe such intense training with personal support from professional traders is the best step a candidate can take to start trading at an institutional level.

A TRADING CAREER AT THE HEART OF GLOBAL FINANCIAL MARKETS

3

I

NTENSIVE

T

RAINING

TO

START

YOUR

T

RADING

C

AREER

As you start your trading career on a real money account with Amplify Trading, we will make sure you develop the essential skill-sets needed to manage your positions at an institutional level. You will be trading our funds, so we work hard to ensure you have the best possible knowledge and support. Throughout the three months (minimum period) that you will be based on our trading floor we will ensure you meet the below objectives.

 Apply a macroeconomic understanding to trade across international financial markets in response to breaking financial news and analysis

 Understand the fundamental driving factors behind equity, commodity, currency and fixed income valuations

 Learn through practical application the key concepts of portfolio management as you manage risk across a trading portfolio using institutional trading software

 Gain first-hand experience in the importance of behavioural finance and trading psychology within an environment of uncertainty and risk

 Learn to understand and analyse financial markets by applying advanced technical analysis techniques across asset classes

 Gain experience using industry leading software to back-test trading strategies, use linear regression models and work with Amplify’s proprietary trading algorithms

 Apply mentoring support and advice from experienced traders at Amplify. Achieve three positive weeks out of four in the second month of training in any one of seven different assets in order to go live in those assets receiving an initial trading margin from Amplify Trading of up to $18,000.00

 Manage your own live trading account from the start of month three and receive 60% of all profitable activity on that trading account. Receive weekly trading reviews in order to increase your market exposure and margin provided from Amplify in order to increase trading returns.

Amplify Traders who finish their third month with a flat or positive live account will be asked to continue to trade with Amplify Trading and will continue to have their margin fully funded by Amplify Trading. There are no further training fees after the third month of the Career Programme.

F

IVE

S

TAGES

OF

D

EVELOPMENT

As you develop as an Amplify Trader you will pass through five stages of development:

1.) CLASSES IN THEORY Right from the start our Head of Trading Piers Curran, will take you through key aspects of macro economic theory, technical analysis and behavioural finance.

2.) BUILDING THE FOUNDATIONS We introduce a new asset class each week to your portfolio. Interactive theory sessions are followed immediately by putting that theory into practice in live market conditions. Can-didates are assessed and reviewed by their mentor throughout each day.

3.) PROGRESSIVE TRADING Equipped with the tools and understanding of intraday trading strategies, you will use increased market exposure to develop your own trading style and work closely with your mentor to achieve three out of four positive weeks in your favoured assets.

4.) INITIAL LIVE MARKET TRADING At the start of month three you will be moved onto the live market en-vironment with your trading account fully funded by Amplify trading. You will receive personal support from our head of trading to help you cross the psychological barrier from simulated to real money trading.

5.) PROFESSIONAL LIVE MARKET TRADING As you continue to trade on the live market environment Am-plify will be looking to increase your size and exposure in order for you to operate and develop as an experi-enced institutional trader managing your risk across multiple asset classes.

Above : Career Traders at our trading floor on St Swithin’s Lane

L

OCATION

All career traders will spend month one on their own trading desk in our training room at IFS School of Finance. Career traders will then move across to our main trading office for months two and three as they progress on to the live markets. Traders that complete month three with a flat or positive account will be offered the opportunity to continue trading as an Amplify Trader.

F

IVE

S

TAGES

OF

D

EVELOPMENT

: T

RADING

C

AREER

P

ROGRAMME

INITIAL MARKET THEORY

TRADE EQUITY AND CURRENCY MARKETS TRADE FIXED INCOME PRODUCTS TRADE COMMODITY MARKETS

S

3 [

]

P

T

S

1 + 2 [

]

K

M

&

B

F

MOVE TO THE TRADING FLOOR

TRADE ACROSS ALL ASSET CLASSES WITH INCREASED EXPSOURE. ACHIEVE THREE OUT OF FOUR UP WEEKS IN ANY PRODUCT

S

4 [

]

I

S

5 [

]

I

T

I

T

C

D

TRADE ACROSS ALL ASSET CLASSES WITH INCREASED EXPO-SURE. ACHIEVE THREE OUT OF FOUR UP WEEKS IN ANY ONE PRODUCT IN ORDER TO GO LIVE IN THAT PRODUCT

TRADE LIVE ON UP TO SEVEN PRODUCTS IN

ACCORDANCE WITH MONTH TWO

CONTINUE TO TRADE OTHER PRODUCTS ON SIMULATED MARKETS TO ADD TO LIVE

PORTFOLIO TRADE LIVE ON UP TO

SEVEN PRODUCTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH MONTH TWO RECEIVING

SHARE OF PROFITS

CONTINUE TO TRADE AS A FULLY

BACKED AMPLIFY TRADER WITH NO

TRAINING FEES

FINSIH MONTH THREE IN PROFIT

BECOME AN INDEPENDENT TRADER WITH YOUR

OWN FUNDED ACCOUNT

USE FRONT DESK EXPERIENCE TO LEVERAGE WIDER ROLES IN FINANCE

SYSTEMS, RISK MANAGEMENT AND SUPPORT

TRADING PLATFORM

All of our traders are set up with the institutional trading software that is used throughout all top level trading floors around the globe. Traders view in real time the assets in their trading portfolio, with prices, orders and fills being updated by the microsecond. The direct market access trading platform (above) with level two visibility allows over 150 technical analysis functions to be applied.

Traders will be introduced to quantitative trading methods to back-test their strategies and will be shown how to incorporate our series of proprietary trading algorithms and analysis software to better assess price opportunity.

NEWS AND ANALYSIS

When training with Amplify, you learn how to assess and understand the changing fundamental news flow. In order to take full advantage of that knowledge it is important to get that news fast. All our traders receive access to live, up to the second market news and analysis, as soon as it breaks. Each day you will receive our strategy reports from our team of analysts to help provide further insight into the products you trade.

MARKET BRIEFINGS AND DATA REVIEWS

At the start of the EU and US trading sessions you will be invited by our Head of Trading, Piers Curran, to join a market briefing discussion to prepare for economic announcements throughout the day. You will be immersed in continuous market debate with our experienced traders assessing economic data as it gets released, providing an invaluable practical market experience.

TIMETABLE AND STRUCTURE

Each week follows a clear structure of objectives to give you the most comprehensive experience on the front desk of financial markets. For the first week, all trainees will be invited to our training room at IFS School of Finance to be taught key theory, led by our Head of Trading Piers Curran, before they then trade throughout each day applying the new concepts and processes learned.

WEEK 1 [STAGE 1]: IN-HOUSE INDUCTION WEEK

OBJECTIVE: To achieve a deep understanding of the markets you will be entering the strategies that professional traders employ in today’s economic climate. We will look into the markets as a whole, review the current financial crises, how to understand charts, and take a deep look into trading psychology and risk parameters. This week will also include an overview of the trading strategies you will be practising during month one.

MONDAY

12:00-14:00 Introduction to Amplify Trading, get to know the traders, introduction to trading systems and software

14:30-15:30 Analysis of contemporary macroeconomic drivers from the credit crunch to the Eurozone crisis and the global recovery

15:45-17:00 Introduction to technical and fundamental analysis and behavioural finance

TUESDAY

12:00-14:00 The structure of global markets and how they function

14:30-15:30 Technical Analysis: support/resistance levels & trends

15:45-17:00 How to optimise entry & exit strategies

WEDNESDAY

12:00-14:00 Technical Analysis: Pivot Levels; Fibonacci Retracement; Moving Averages; RSI

14:30-15:30 Behavioural finance; prospect theory, herd mentality, confirmation bias and discounting the efficient market hypothesis

15:45-17:00 Trading psychology session; Kolb’s learning cycle; individual psychometric profiling tests

THURSDAY

12:00-14:00 Monetary policy and the role of the central bank; Analysing the European Central Bank Press Conference

14:30-15:30 Economic Data Analysis; Introduction to risk management

15:45-17:00 Building trading strategies; trading ranging and momentum markets

FRIDAY

12:00-14:00 Commodity focus, the role of gold, outlook for world oil review; Trading Economic Data Releases

MULTI-ASSET CLASS TRADING [STAGE 2]: WEEKS 2 - 4

From week two, new traders operate their trading terminal throughout the European and US market sessions. Traders add a new asset class to their portfolio each week and apply theory taught on live market prices. Trading takes place between 08:30 and 16:30 each day on your own trading desk and sessions are complimented by the following additional theory topics below.

Below: Trade from our trading floor in the heart of The City

WEEK 2: EQUITIES & FX

08:30 - 16:30

OBJECTIVE: To familiarise yourself with the trading platform, how to implement Risk limits, and to practise entering trades using Support and Resistance levels. There will also be a daily quiz to assess your knowledge in the topics covered. In addition to the daily quiz, there will be an exam covering the material from week one; this will take place on the Monday of week two.

MONDAY Set up trading systems ; Lecture: Trading FX Markets; Exam for week one theory

TUESDAY Technical analysis: Support/Resistance/Trends; 1– 1’s with mentor; Trading Discipline

WEDNESDAY Technical analysis: Candlestick Charting & Study of Candlestick Psychology

THURSDAY Lecture - The Practical Trader: Trading rules and discipline; Trading day routine; Entry and Exit Strategies

FRIDAY Lecture: Trading your Psychological Profile; ‘How the Economic Machine Works’

WEEK 3 : FIXED INCOME

08:30 - 16:30

OBJECTIVE: To further develop trading strategies and further understanding of more complex markets. You will look at technical analysis tools which professional traders use on a daily basis. You will also learn how to effectively and precisely plot a strategy on a chart using a set of parameters.

MONDAY Trading reviews; Group risk limit review; Lecture: Bond markets advanced; Discussion: Market Correlations

TUESDAY Tech analysis: Charting techniques session; Trading review; Trading with Order Flow: Live Session

WEDNESDAY Smart Orders: OCOs and Trailing Stops; Live Trading Session & Trainee Trader Reviews

THURSDAY Refresher Discussion: Implementing your Trading Strategy & Trade Management ; ‘Know Your Product’

FRIDAY Live Trading Session & Trainee Trader Reviews; Weekend Task: Strategy Report

WEEK 4 : COMMODITIES

08:30 - 16:30

OBJECTIVE: To develop macro-understanding by completing a strategy report task. This week will build upon all prior learning in weeks 1 to 3 and will culminate in an end of month exam. There is also scope for a visit day to Bloomberg to take the Bloomberg Assessment Test free of charge (subject to demand and availability).

MONDAY Morning Risk Limit Briefing; Trading review with mentor; Lecture: Trading Crude Oil

TUESDAY Small group sessions with mentor; Q&A Revision Session

WEDNESDAY End of Month Exam; Crude Oil D.O.E Release Trading Session

THURSDAY End of month one trading game between traders

WEEK 5

08:00 - 16:30

OBJECTIVE: Review new limits with new mentor and acclimatise to professional trading room on the trading floor. Traders are expected to develop a consistent performance applying theory learned in month one.

MONDAY Meet new trading mentor; trading performance and limit review

TUESDAY Strategy Reports: Briefing

WEDNESDAY Portfolio Management Lecture 1

THURSDAY Advanced futures lecture

FRIDAY Trading Focus: US Non-Farm Payrolls Day

WEEK 6

08:00 - 16:30

OBJECTIVE: To learn from experience how investment banks operate and how to best reflect the experience to leverage employment opportunities. To learn more about trading career opportunities available post–Amplify, including opportunities available with Amplify.

MONDAY Quiz 1 & weekly reviews with mentor

TUESDAY Strategy Reports: Review

WEDNESDAY Portfolio Management Lecture 2

THURSDAY Trading Focus: ECB Monetary Policy Day

FRIDAY Career Development session with William de Lucy

WEEK 7

08:00 - 16:30

OBJECTIVE: Traders continue to build on professional experience developing consistency in their approach. To learn about other derivatives in addition to futures and how the financial industry operates.

MONDAY Quiz 2 & weekly reviews with mentor

TUESDAY Research Analysis Task

WEDNESDAY Emerging Markets Lecture

THURSDAY Derivatives Lecture

FRIDAY Looking at the Buy Side & Sell Side

WEEK 8

08:00 - 16:30

OBJECTIVE: Traders will see first hand how quote driven markets work at the LME, the world's largest metal exchange (subject to availability and demand). End of second month trading reviews with your mentor and allocation of Live market access for the start of the third month.

MONDAY Quiz 3 & weekly reviews with mentor

TUESDAY Research Analysis Task Review

WEDNESDAY Visit to the London Metals Exchange (subject to availability and demand)

THURSDAY Fixed Income: Yield Curve; End of second month trading reviews

FRIDAY End of second month trading competition

PROGRESSIVE TRADING [STAGE 3]: MONTH TWO

As career traders move to their desks at our main trading floor they are introduced to their new mentors and receive increased market exposure to trade across all asset classes as an institutional trader. This month is focussed on the development of each career trader’s own consistent trading style in order to achieve three out of four profitable weeks in their favoured products. It is these products they will start trading with on the live market at the start of STAGE 4. The below lists the content covered by each trader in addition to their daily trading routine.

LIVE MARKET TRADING [STAGES 4 AND 5]: MONTH THREE AND BEYONED

At the start of the third month career traders move on to the live market with fully funded accounts provided by Amplify Trading. Different traders will be suited better to the different levels of volatility of the products they trade. The trader will go live on the products which they have achieved three out of four profitable weeks during the previous month, in stage three of the programme. This may be any number of the listed products below:

Our more senior traders have access to many more products than listed above, from emerging market currencies to precious metals and soft commodities. As you progress trading the live markets you will still be encouraged to develop on a wider array of assets on the simulator. Traders will receive competitive financial compensation based on the profitability in their Live accounts and performance will be reviewed each week by our head of trading and managing director in order to allocate an increased market exposure where appropriate.

Traders who complete the third month with a profitable performance will be asked to continue trading as an Amplify Trader with no further training fees. Traders who finish with a negative live account can use the invaluable front desk experience and knowledge to either continue trading as an independent trader or leverage the experience within the industry supported by a certificate in Trading & Financial Market Analysis and continued careers support from Amplify Trading.

Below: A regular guest host appearance on CNBC by Amplify’s Head of Trading Piers Curran (left) and Managing Director William de Lucy (right)

INITIAL LIVE PRODUCTS TRADED

EQUITY INDICES: E-mini S&P 500 and EUROSTOXX 50 CURRENCY PAIRS: EUR/USD and GBP/USD

FIXED INCOME (BONDS): GERMAN 10Yr BUND and US 10Yr TREASURY COMMODITIES: MINI CRUDE OIL

TESTIMONIALS OF WORK

INSTITUTIONAL TESTIMONIALS

“Truly a highlight of training. The facilitators were incredibly prepared and the interface advanced. This was simply the best and most important part of training.”

Kellie Burke, Bank of America Merrill Lynch VP, Global Markets Learning

I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Amplify Trading over the past three years”

Jasmine Quartey-Owoo HSBC Bank Plc, Graduate Recruitment and Development

INDIVIDUAL TESTIMONIALS

I joined Amplify to fulfil my long term dream to become a trader and to study markets. Throughout the intense program I learned how to understand what fundamental factors drive price activity, gain good competency in technical analysis and I applied the risk man-agement techniques taught. I started trading on the live markets focussing on fixed income products such as the German Bund and US Treasury Bonds. I continue to trade with Ampli-fy building on my live market experience in my progression towards joining a Hedge Fund on completion of my MBA.

Jonathan Rawicz. CFA Associate, Director at Quilter

Yana Pankratova, Amplify Trader and INSEAD MBA

The skills I acquired will allow me to improve my investment decisions, by comple-menting my existing fundamental analysis skills with technical analysis skills. In particu-lar, I really valued the fact that the course was given by actual market practitioners in a live market environment. In addition, the opportunity to sit amongst the traders on the floor rather than just in a class-room, it gave me a much better understanding of what a trading floor is actually like and what trading day in day out is really all about.

Below: All in house career traders will be based on their own trading desk on our trading floor surrounded by our experienced traders

C

AREER

T

RADING

WITH

A

MPLIFY

T

RADING

Our flagship career programme has helped us develop many of the traders on our trading floor who continue to apply key theories taught during their initial three month period. This is a trading opportunity like no other and we believe this is simply the best way to start a career in trading as you will be support-ed by an involvsupport-ed and helpful team of professionals following a training programme of exceptional quality. The training fees for a career trader to be based in house, on their own trading desk at Amplify Trading are £1600.00 per month for three months. This includes all VAT, desk fees, and system costs. Career traders can meet this cost by committing to one month at a time should they wish. For traders that finish month three with a positive live account there will be no further training fees and they continue trading with Amplify receiving compensation for their profitable trading.

Spaces are limited for our in-house training and so there is also a very good option to cover exactly the same training process via our ‘hybrid’ option. This involves operating on-line through our virtual room to interact live with our trading floor throughout each day as you go through exactly the same structured training process as those based at the office. The price for the hybrid option is £1050 per month.

We will have start dates at the beginning of each month, but please bear in mind that we only take fourteen career traders for each programme and availability is often oversubscribed. Please contact us to reserve a place or alternatively please use this registration link.

Yours sincerely,

William De Lucy

Managing Director, Amplify Trading