Seasonality Chart

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Overview

By definition, Seasonality is a characteristic of a time series in which the data experiences regular and predictable changes which recur every calendar year. Any predictable change or pattern in a time series that recurs or repeats can be said to be seasonal.

The Seasonality chart is a method of identifying these seasonal patterns visually, and while this chart style is commonly utilised for futures markets, the theory behind Seasonality charts can be applied to any code in Optuma (Stocks, FX, etc).

To create a chart, click on New > Single Code Chart > Seasonality Chart and enter the code of the required instrument. There are a number of display options under the Draw Style property, and also to compare user-defined years.

Bar Style

Displays the average of each time period in discrete bars. Here’s an example of Heating Oil futures (HOSpot) with the blue diamond showing the current measure:

Box & Whisker Style

Also called a Box Plot, the Box & Whisker style represents the variation in the data, showing the maximum, minimum, average and standard deviation values. Mousing over a box shows the values, and the the blue diamond shows the current month’s performance.

Component Style

Shows each year as a discrete line for each period, either in absolute, actual, or percentage terms.

Comparison Style: Compare Years

By changing the Comparison Style property from Seasonality to Compare Years you can enter specific years to compare. Here’s an example of SPX performance for the last 10 US presidential inauguration years:

For further information on Seasonality Charts, we recommend New Trading Systems and Methods (Wiley Trading).

Actions & Properties

Actions

Clone Chart: When selected the existing chart will be duplicated. It will be placed above the existing chart, from here it can either be moved to a new page or tiled alongside your existing chart(s).

Copy Data to Clipboard: Copies the Seasonal chart data to the Clipboard which can then be used in other programs such as Notepad and Excel.

Print Chart: Opens the page in a PDF document, which can then be printed.

Restore Default Settings: Click this action if you have adjusted the default settings of the Seasonality chart, and wish to return to the standard properties originally installed with Optuma.

Save Settings as Default: If you have adjusted any of the Seasonality chart’s properties (such as the Measure setting, for example) you can save the adjustments as your new default setting. Each time you open a new Seasonality chart it will display using the new settings.

Send To: This option allows the current chart to be saved as either an image file, saved to the clipboard or added to a Manual List. If you have Professional Services then the additional options of sending the chart via Chat Message, to Word and Outlook are also available.

Properties

Comparison Style: Seasonality or Compare Years (see above).

Date Range: This setting allows you to choose how much historical data is displayed on the chart. By default, all data contained in the data file is displayed. However, you can also choose one of the following options. This is particularly useful for limiting the amount of intraday data displayed.

• Everything
• Today
• Yesterday
• Last Week
• Last Fortnight
• Last Month
• Last Quarter (3 Months)
• Last Year
• Last 5 Years
• Last 10 Years
• Date Range (Specifically select a date the chart will plot from)
• Selected Date

Season: Sets the season frequency that is to be used, can be set to: Decade, Yearly, Monthly, or Weekly. Clients with the Astro module are also able to select Planetary seasonality by houses of the zodiac.

Period to Show: Nominates what period will be displayed, by default all available periods will be displayed. The period intervals that can be selected will depend upon the Season setting, e.g. a Monthly season will allow the selection of individual months.

Measure: By default, the Measure that is used is set to Seasonal Gain/Loss. However, this can be changed to a use aScript

Relative Code: When a code is entered the chart will display a relative comparison value (ratio chart) between the chart’s code and the relative code, eg MSFT/SPX.

Draw Style: Bar, Box & Whisker, Line, or Components

Bar Up Colour: Choose required colour when bars are positive

Bar Down Colour: Choose required colour when bars are negative

Smoothing Period: Allows you to adjust the number of bars used in the Moving Average component of the calculation

Currency: Each chart you load will display in the default exchange currency (or point measurement). You can adjust the chart so that it displays in a different currency, or even priced in Silver or Gold

Average Style: The Average style can be set to use either Mean or Median

Calc Style: Can be set to percentage, absolute, or actual

Ignore Latest Data Point: When selected the latest data point will be excluded from the chart

Scales Font Size: Choose font size for the price scale

Auto Scale: If the bars extend beyond the chart border after making a chart adjustment, e.g. changing the Period to Show, this setting will automatically re-scale the chart within the chart borders

Show Legend: Allows you to show/hide the legend when set to Component draw style

Show Heading: When selected a heading will be displayed on the Seasonality chart

Use Name as Heading: Uses the chart symbol or chart name as the heading

Last Values Line Style: When the Last Values Line has been enabled you can then adjust the line’s style, width, colour, and transparency.

Show in Price Scale: When selected the current growth value will be highlighted in the Price Scale