Trade Stock Indices

Learn Stock Indices Trading for Beginners Tutorials

MT4 Indices Trading Platform Setup

If you want to learn how to setup the MT4 platform this indices trading tutorial guide explains the stock indices trading step by step guide on how to setup MetaTrader 4 Indices Trading Platform for indices beginners with examples.

The following screen shot below shows the main MT4 platform interface. As a beginner indices trader trying to learn how to execute orders in the online stock indices market, the main tool for trading the stock indices trading market is the MT4 platform software. This is the indices trading software that you will connect to your indices broker with and execute indices trading transactions and monitor your trading account balance.

The MT4 platform for indices trading is provided for free through the various indices broker websites. This MetaTrader 4 software looks like the stock indices trading example explained and illustrated below:

MT4 Stock Index Trading Platform Setup - MT4 Stock Index Trading Platform Tutorial for Beginners - How to Install MT4 Stock Index Trading Platform

Learn MT4 Indices Trading Platform - MT4 Indices Trading Platform Tutorial for Beginners

The Main Areas of this MT4 platform as shown above are:

  1. Navigation Menus
  2. Toolbars
  3. Chart Window
  4. Navigator
  5. Market Watch
  6. Terminal
  7. Connection Bars

For this MT4 Indices Trading Platform Setup tutorial we shall look at a brief introduction for each of these:

1. MT4 Navigation Menus MT4 Indices Trading Platform Setup - MT4 Indices Trading Platform Tutorial for Beginners

The MT4 navigation menus are:

  1. File
  2. View
  3. Insert
  4. Charts
  5. Tools
  6. Window
  7. Help

These MetaTrader 4 menus are the main navigation menus that can be used to navigate the MT4 platform software. As a indices beginner you can start by just clicking any of these MetaTrader 4 platform navigation menus to familiarize yourself with the various buttons that are arranged as sub menus within these navigation menus.

These MT4 platform navigation menus will be discussed in details in the next MT4 software setup tutorials about navigation menus.

2. MT4 Tool Bars MT4 Indices Trading Platform Setup - MT4 Indices Trading Platform Tutorial for Beginners

The MT4 tool bars are used to manipulate charts, either by placing indicators, line studies, change time frames and load a template from a list of saved templates on the MT4 platform.

These MT4 tool bars will be discussed on other MT4 software setup tutorials that will outline each button on this tool bar and how to add and customize these MT4 tool bars.

3. MT4 Indices Chart Window MT4 Indices Trading Platform Setup - MT4 Indices Trading Platform Tutorial for Beginners

MT4 Indices Chart Window is the main area where stock indices charts are displayed and one can analyze the indices trend direction of a indices instrument whether up or down, place stock indices indicators for technical analysis and even place trading orders from these stock indices charts.

4. MT4 Navigator MT4 Indices Trading Platform Setup - MT4 Indices Trading Platform Tutorial for Beginners

MT4 Navigator will contain information about stock indices trading accounts, whether demo indices trading account or real account, this window will also have a list of all the MetaTrader 4 indices indicators as well as Expert Advisors and scripts.

A indices trader can choose which trading account to login by expanding the Accounts menu, choose an indicator by expanding the indicator menu or choose an Expert Advisor by expanding the Expert Advisor menu.

4. MT4 Market Watch MT4 Indices Trading Platform Setup - MT4 Indices Trading Platform Tutorial for Beginners

MT4 Market watch is used to show streaming quotes for indices. This can list as many quotes provided by your indices broker or a few selected by a indices trader. To save internet bandwidth, right click inside the stock indices trading market watch window and select "Hide All", so as to hide the MetaTrader 4 symbols that you are not transacting and save on internet bandwidth.

6. MT4 Terminal MT4 Indices Trading Platform Setup - MT4 Indices Trading Platform Tutorial for Beginners

This is the window that is like the bank account transaction area for your indices trades, on this window you can view your balance, profit and losses statement, equity, margin used also retrieve a copy of all your stock indices trades transactions history.

This will also list all open trade transactions and calculate all the profit and loss in real time as the stock indices prices move up or down.

7. MT4 Connection Bar MT4 Indices Trading Platform Setup - MT4 Indices Trading Platform Tutorial for Beginners

Red bars are for no connection, green bars show that there is connection to the servers and transaction orders can be placed. These MT4 connection bars should always be green when one logged into their demo indices trading account or live account.

These main areas form the MT4 Platform Setup tutorial and will be the main areas to be covered in detail in the next learn MetaTrader 4 platform tutorials. For now it is best to download MetaTrader 4 software and familiarize yourself with the MetaTrader 4 software interface.

Why MT4 Indices Trading Software is Required for Placing Indices Trade Transactions with Brokers

MetaTrader 4 platform is the software that is used to access the stock indices trading market and analyze these stock indices price movements using technical analysis. There are various reasons why a indices trader requires to use a good indices trading platform. A good indices trading platform can determine if a as a indices trader you make a profit or not.

So why does a indices trader need a good platform:

To connect to the Trading Server:

To place an order when trading online a indices trader needs to use a platform that will connect to the trading servers of their stock indices trading broker and allow them to open and close orders. Good indices trading platforms will connect with ease to the brokers' servers and allow traders to place orders at any time from their computer.

To analyze indices charts using technical analysis

To place a buy or sell order one needs to first analyze the direction of indices. This is why all good indices trading platforms provide technical tools such as stock indices price charts, technical indicators and various different time frames from which one can analyze stock indices price moves using the chart timeframes of their choice.

MT4 Indices Trading Platform Setup - MetaTrader 4 Stock Index Trading Platform Tutorial for Beginners

MT4 Indices Trading Platform Setup - MT4 Indices Trading Platform Tutorial for Beginners

From the above MT4 platform interface, the summary of all information required by a indices trader is provided on this MT4 interface

  • Connection - connection to the indices broker servers
  • Charts - stock indices price charts that display indices prices
  • Toolbars - toolbars to add tools and technical analysis indicators
  • Market Watch - for displaying available financial instruments
  • Data window - provides trading account information and other indicator data
  • Exchange rates - shows current market stock indices price on a indices chart
  • Menu bar - Shows all menu items on the MetaTrader 4 platform

MT4 Indices Trading Platform Setup - MT4 Indices Trading Platform Tutorial for Beginners

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