Spread MetaTrader indicator — displays current spread in the main window of the chart. You can modify the font parameters, indicator’s position and the normalization of the spread value. The spread is redrawn after each tick, ensuring the most current and active spread value. This can be useful for brokers with variable spreads or with spreads that are widened often. The indicator is available for both MT4 and MT5.

Input parameters:

• font_color (default = Red) — color of the spread indicator.
• font_size (default = 14) — size of the spread indicator.
• font_face (default = “Arial”) — font of the spread indicator.
• corner (default = 0/ANCHOR_LEFT_UPPER) — location for the spread indicator. In MT4: 0 — for top-left corner, 1 — top-right, 2 — bottom-left, 3 — bottom-right. In MT5 it’s quite obvious.
• spread_distance_x (default = 10) — horizontal distance from the corner to indicator.
• spread_distance_y (default = 130) — vertical distance from the corner to indicator.
• normalize (default = false) — if true then the spread value is normalized and is given in conventional pips. If false then the spread is given in the current pips as is. Can be useful for nonstandard quotes.

This indicator can’t be used to generate trading signals. It can only assist you to make trading decisions, set proper stop-loss or take-profit levels and inform of the current market situation in a simple and fast manner.

Source: http://www.earnforex.com/metatrader-indicators/Spread eMeta

Pending orders are the client’s commitment to the brokerage company to buy or sell a security at a pre-defined price in the future. This type of orders is used for the opening of a trade position provided the future price quotes reach the pre-defined level.

There are usually four types of pending orders available in the MetaTrader platform:

1. Buy Limit — buy provided the future “ASK” price is equal to the pre-defined value. The current price level is higher than the value of the placed order. Orders of this type are usually placed in anticipation of that the security price, having fallen to a certain level, will increase.
2. Buy Stop—buy provided the future “ASK” price is equal to the pre-defined value. The current price level is lower than the value of the placed order. Orders of this type are usually placed in anticipation of that the security price, having reached a certain level, will keep on increasing.
3. Sell Limit — sell provided the future “BID” price is equal to the pre-defined value. The current price level is lower than the value of the placed order. Orders of this type are usually placed in anticipation of that the security price, having increased to a certain level, will fall.
4. Sell Stop — sell provided the future “BID” price is equal to the pre-defined value. The current price level is higher than the value of the placed order. Orders of this type are usually placed in anticipation of that the security price, having reached a certain level, will keep on falling.

*Remember, in volatile market or fast-moving market conditions, stop-loss orders can become market orders and may be filled at the prevailing price, which may differ greatly from the desired price.

How do stop orders work in MetaTrader?

Buy stop, Sell stop and Stop loss orders do NOT guarantee an order will be filled at a certain price. Your specified price is known as the stop price. Once the stop price is met or exceeded, the order becomes a market order. Market orders instruct the broker to fill the order at the next available market price.

The execution price of a buy stop, sell stop or stop loss can vary from the stop price. This occurs most commonly during significant market moves or gaps. Often these price gaps are the result of economic news releases such as the US non-farm payroll report, and may also occur over a weekend when trading is closed. Keep in mind that in a volatile market substantial losses may occur and orders may not be filled as placed.

Source: IBFX

Let’s look at how to optimize an expert advisor. In the example below we will look to optimize the size of stop loss and take profit.

Expert Optimization Steps

1. Open the Strategy Tester window by pressing Ctrl+R.

2. In the Strategy Tester window, select Expert Properties

3. Select the Optimized parameters ( in our example stop-loss and stop-profit)

4. Enter the initial values of the optimized parameters, step and stop

5. Close the window

6. Select Optimization

7. Choose a model for optimization ( a model “ Open prices only (fastest method to analyze the bar just completed)” corresponds to the most advisors, although for greater accuracy it is possible to test on Every tick (based on all available least timeframes) but then time of optimization substantially will be increased.

8. Press start

9. After completion of optimization, open Optimization result and choose parameters considering a highest income and minimum drawdown. (obviously income should be high and drawdown should be less)

Source: http://www.metatraderglobal.com/612/metatrader-tips-expert-advisor-optimization/

The trading system in MetaTrader 5 differs from that of MetaTrader 4 in its basics. First of all, four types of trade operation execution are supported in MetaTrader 5: Market, Instant, Request and Exchange. Secondly, the new terminal accepts the strict delimitation between the notions of Order, Trade and Position.

To view the full article, please visit: http://www.metatraderglobal.com/253/metatrader-5-trading-system/