Marana (Market Technical Analytics and Trading)

Marana is a cross-platform project written in C#/Mono designed to allow retail investors to use technical analysis of market assets in order to inform and conduct market trading, using the Alpaca and Alpha Vantage platforms for market data and Skender.Stock.Indicators for analytics and metrics. Marana stores and handles cached and calculated data using a MySQL database. Using SQL queries and instruction sets that can be developed by the user and stored in the MySQL database, Marana can execute automated trades using the Alpaca trading platform.

Since Marana is comprised of free and/or open source software, this allows retail investors to conduct technical analysis of data with minimal financial barriers to entry.

Warnings

• To quote the distribution license (a.k.a. end-user license agreement), Marana is provided on an "as is" basis "without warranties... [of] fitness for a particular purpose", and "in no event... shall any [developer] be liable to you for damages [(monetary losses)]... out of the use or inability to use the [program]". In other words- use this product at your own risk.
• Marana is still in early stages of development and has not reached a stable version. Unstable versions are subject to feature-breaking changes without notice. Unstable and stable versions may have bugs that cause unexpected failure of the program. In other words- use this product at your own risk.

Features

Marana is currently under development. Here are running lists of implemented features and planned features:

Current, Implemented Features

• Data Library management and updating using a variety of options, including data providers:
  • Connection to Alpaca API's free service for retrieval of daily market data.
  • Connection to Alpha Vantage API's free service for retrieval of daily market data.
• Retrieves last 300-1000 trading days (~1 yr+) of market data (NASDAQ, NYSE) for assets
  • Can retrieve all market data
  • Can retrieve only symbols specified on a watchlist
• Uses a command-line interface (CLI) that can be run by OS task scheduling, cron jobs
  • Allows for updating data library and executing automated trading on specific intervals
• Stores all market data in a MySQL database via network connection
  • Raw data can be queried by any SQL interface (e.g. MySQL Workbench)
  • Can populate a watchlist to only maintain data for specific symbols
• Performs technical analysis of all assets and stores results in MySQL database, including:
  • Simple Moving Averages (SMA; 7d, 20d, 50d, 100d, 200d)
  • Exponential Moving Averages, Double and Triple (EMA, DEMA, TEMA; 7d, 20d, 50d)
  • Relative Strength Index (RSI)
  • Rate of Change (ROC)
  • Bollinger Bands®
  • Moving Average Convergence/Divergence (MACD)
  • Stochastic Oscillator
  • Choppiness Index
• Execution of automated trading instructions based on pre-defined strategies
  • Strategies in database as sets of SQL queries to determine buy/sell signals
  • Automated trading instructions will buy/sell based on strategy signals
    • Numerous condition checks prevent accidental duplicate orders or margin trading
    • Verbose console output gives transparency to automated results and actions
  • Can validate strategy SQL queries in GUI to ensure no erroneous SQL syntax

Future, Planned Features

• Graphical interface panes for additional database tasks
• Additional technical analysis indicators and metrics
• Intra-day market data and trading

Instructions for Use (As of version 0.3.0)

Although Marana aims to reduce barriers to data analysis for retail investors, using Marana still requires a fair amount of computing skills, especially writing database queries including a minimum ability to use the command prompt, install a MySQL database service, and be able to write basic SQL (database) queries. Although using Marana and its connected services are all free, it is not a turnkey operation.

1) Install a MySQL Server

1. The server does not have to be on the same computer that will be running Marana, though it is recommended to be on a LAN or high-speed connection due to speed constraints
2. It is recommended to use a graphical/GUI interface such as MySQL Workbench (standalone tool, cross-platform) or phpMyAdmin (requires web server)

2) Configure the MySQL Server

1. Marana requires a database user and password (example username 'marana') to log in to the MySQL server
   1. Note: Marana will store this password unencrypted in your user's ~/.config/Marana (Linux) or ...\AppData\Roaming\Marana (Windows) folder (not on the database); it is recommended to use a randomly generated password for your Marana database user account!!
2. Marana requires a database schema (database object) that its user has privileges for (requires Object Rights and DDL Rights)
3. For more information on initial setup of a MySQL server, including obtaining root access, see the official MySQL documentation: "Getting Started with MySQL" "Schema" and "Users and Privileges" view in MySQL Workbench

3) Initial Setup: Run Marana (marana.exe) and select "Settings" > "Edit"

1. If your Alpaca account uses a Paper (fake money) account, then you must enter the Paper credentials. Editing and viewing user settings from the graphical user interface

4) Use Marana to Obtain Data: Run a Library Update

1. Marana can be operated from the command-line graphical user interface, or accept arguments from the command line.
2. Running marana.exe library update from the command line will download data from Alpaca, run analyses, and store the data on the database server. marana.exe library update
3. For regular data updates, you can create tasks to run marana.exe library update via the Task Scheduler (Windows) or cron jobs (Linux)
4. If you forget the list of command-line arguments, you can run marana.exe help marana.exe help

5) Access Marana's Data Library

1. Accessing Marana's MySQL database directly allows you to run queries directly against raw market data, which is useful for:
   1. Screening stocks based on specific values and indicators
   2. Selecting stocks for further research
   3. Developing queries to function as entry and exit queries for automated strategies
2. Some sample queries include:
   1. Selecting all stocks whose Moving Average Convergence/Divergence (MACD) is over the MACD Signal

      SELECT             
         today.Symbol,
         today.Date,            
         today.MACD,
         today.MACD_Signal
      FROM
         Marana.Daily today
      WHERE            
         today.Date = CURDATE()
         AND today.MACD > today.MACD_Signal               
      ;
      

   2. Selecting all stocks whose Stochastic Oscillator is under 25, a common signal to buy.

      SELECT             
         today.Symbol,
         today.Date,
         today.Stochastic_Oscillator
      FROM
         Marana.Daily today
      WHERE            
         today.Date = CURDATE()
         AND today.Stochastic_Oscillator < 25               
      ;
      

7) Using Automated Trading (Live and Paper)

1. Insert strategies (custom SQL queries) into the MySQL database's Strategies table
   1. The Strategies table is automatically created when Marana accesses the database (e.g. for library updates)
      1. If the table is not present, retrieving library information (Main Menu > Library > Information) will create the empty table.
   2. Writing strategy queries: A strategy query needs to return a row if the conditions are met, and return no data if conditions are not met.
   3. Marana interprets several values, making strategies useful for different symbols and for daily use. Interpreted values are:
      1. {SYMBOL} allows Marana to use the query against different symbols, e.g. AAPL or MSFT
      2. {DATE} allows Marana to set the date of the query day by day
   4. An example of a valid strategy query:

      SELECT *
      FROM Marana.Daily today
      WHERE
         today.Symbol = '{SYMBOL}'
         AND today.Date = '{DATE}'
         AND today.Stochastic_Oscillator < 25               
      ;
      

   5. Strategies consist of the following fields:
      1. Name is a unique (cannot be repeated) name for the Strategy
      2. Entry is the SQL query to be triggered to initiate buying the asset
      3. ExitGain is the SQL query to be triggered to initiate selling the asset (to obtain gain)
      4. ExitStopLoss is the SQL query to be triggered to intiate sellign the asset (to stop loss)
   6. An example of strategy queries entered into the Strategies table. Sample Strategies table as seen in MySQL Workbench
   7. Validate that Marana can execute the strategy queries without any errors or issues; (Main Menu > Strategies > Test Queries) Testing strategies for validity in Marana
2. Insert automated trading instructions (each row of data is one automated trading instruction) into the MySQL database's Instructions table
   1. The Instructions table is automatically created when Marana accesses the database (e.g. for library updates)
      1. If the table is not present, retrieving library information (Main Menu > Library > Information) will create the empty table.
   2. Automated instructions are self explanatory. For clarity:
      1. ID is a unique number (cannot be repeated)- it is auto-generated if not entered.
      2. Name can be any description for the instruction- it can be left blank, named after the symbol, etc.
      3. Active is a boolean (true/false) flag of whether to run or skip the instruction.
      4. Format is either 'Paper' or 'Live', specifies whether to use the Paper account or Live trading account.
      5. Symbol is the ticker symbol to be queried and traded.
      6. Strategy is the Strategy's Name to use for detecting buy signals (Entry query) and sell signals (ExitGain, ExitLoss queries)
      7. Quantity is the amount of shares to purchase (e.g. stock shares)
      8. Frequency is the frequency this instruction is expected to be queried at (currently only 'Daily')
   3. Note: It is recommended to only have one instruction per symbol. Having multiple instructions acting on one symbol will produce unwanted results.
   4. An example of instructions entered into the Instructions table. Sample Instructions table as seen in MySQL Workbench
3. Run the automated trading functions (command line marana.exe execute all or execute live or execute paper)
   1. Automated trading instructions are run with the following actions and safeguards taking place:
      1. Marana ensures the latest market data is present in the data library (for estimating costs of buy orders)
      2. Current open orders are checked to prevent duplicate orders from being placed
      3. Current positions are checked to prevent "stacking" buy orders on top of current positions
      4. Current positions are checked to prevent selling of shares without currently owning them
         1. The Alpaca API would interpret this as placing a short sale order
      5. Current available cash is checked in the account; estimated cost of open buy orders is subtracted from this
         1. Ensuring available cash is present- and not earmarked to open buy orders- prevents buying on margin Automated trading instructions and strategies being run on the command line