MT4 Stocks Platform Setup
If you want to learn how to setup the MT4 stock platform this stocks tutorial guide explains the stocks step by step guide on how to setup MT4 Stocks Platform for beginners with examples.
The following screen-shot below shows the main MetaTrader 4 stock platform inter-face. As a beginner trader trying to learn how to execute orders in online stocks market, the main tool for trading the stocks market is the MetaTrader 4 stock platform software. This is the stocks software that you will connect to your stocks broker with & execute stocks transactions and monitor your trading account balance.
The MT4 stock platform for trading stocks is provided for free through the various stocks broker web sites. This MT4 software looks like the stocks example illustrated and explained below:
Learn MT4 Stocks Platform - MetaTrader 4 Stocks Platform Setup
Main Areas of this MT4 stock platform as shown above are:
- Navigation Menus
- Toolbars
- Chart Window
- Navigator
- Market Watch
- Terminal
- Connection Bars
For this MT4 Stocks Platform Setup tutorial we shall look at a brief introduction for each of these:
1. MT4 Navigation Menus MT4 Stocks Platform Setup
The MT4 navigation menus are:
- File
- View
- Insert
- Charts
- Tools
- Window
- Help
These MetaTrader 4 menus are the main navigation menus which can be used to navigate the MT4 stock platform software. As a stocks beginner you can start by just clicking any of these MT4 stock platform navigation menus to familiarize yourself with the various buttons that are arranged as sub menus within these navigation menus.
These MetaTrader 4 stock platform navigation menus will be discussed in details in the next MT4 stocks software setup tutorials about navigation menus.
2. MT4 Tool Bars MT4 Stocks Platform Setup
The MT4 tool bars are used to manipulate trading 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 MetaTrader 4 tool bars will be discussed on other MT4 stocks software setup tutorials which will outline each button on this tool bar and how to add and customize these MT4 tool bars.
3. MT4 Stock Chart Window MT4 Stocks Platform Setup
MetaTrader 4 Stock Chart Window Panel is the main area where stocks charts are displayed & trader can analyze the stocks trend direction of a stocks trading instrument whether up or down, place stocks indicators for technical analysis and even place trading orders from these stocks charts.
4. MT4 Navigator MT4 Stocks Platform Setup
MetaTrader 4 Navigator will contain information about stocks accounts, whether practice stocks account or real account, this window panel will also have a list of all MT4 indicators as well as EAs and scripts.
A trader can select which account to login by expanding the Accounts menu, select an technical indicator by expanding the indicator menu or choose an EA by expanding the Expert Advisor menu.
4. MT4 Market Watch MT4 Stocks Platform Setup
MetaTrader 4 Market watch is used to show streaming quotes for stocks instruments. This can list as many quotes provided by your stocks broker or a few chosen by a trader. To save inter net bandwidth, right click inside the stocks market watch window and select "Hide All", so as to hide the MT4 symbols that you are not transacting and save on inter-net bandwidth.
6. MT4 Terminal MT4 Stocks Platform Setup
This is window panel that is like the bank account trade area for your stocks trades, on this window you can view your balance, profit & losses statement, equity, margin used also retrieve a copy of all your stock trades transactions history.
This will also list all open trades and calculate all the profit and loss in real-time as the stocks prices move upwards or downwards.
7. MT4 Connection Bar MT4 Stocks Platform Setup
Red bars are for no connectivity, green bars show that there is connection to the servers and trade orders can be set. These MT4 connection bars should always be green when one logged into their demo stocks account or real 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 MT4 stock platform tutorials. For now it is best to download MetaTrader 4 platform and familiarize yourself with the MT4 stocks software interface.
Why MT4 Stocks Software is Required for Placing Stocks Trade Transactions with Brokers
MT4 platform is the software that's used to access the stocks market & interpret these stocks price movements using technical analysis. There are various reasons why a trader requires to use a good stocks platform. A good stocks platform can determine if a as a trader you make profit or not.
So why does a trader need a good platform:
To connect to the Trading Server:
To place an order when trading online a trader needs to use a platform which will connect to the trading servers of their stocks broker and allow them to open and close orders. Good stocks platforms will connect with ease to the brokers' servers and allow traders to place orders at any time from their computer.
To analyze stocks charts using technical analysis
To open a buy or sell order one needs to first interpret direction of a stocks. This is why all good stocks platforms provide technical tools such as stocks price charts, technical indicators & various different time frames from which trader can analyze stocks price moves using the chart timeframes of their choice.
MT4 Stocks Platform Setup
From the above MT4 stock platform inter-face, the summary of all data required by a trader is provided on this MT4 interface
- Connection - connection to the broker servers
- Charts - price charts that display stocks prices
- Tool bars - tool bars to add tools and technical analysis technical indicators
- Market Watch - for displaying available financial instruments
- Data window panel - provides account information and other indicator data
- Exchange rates - shows current market stocks price on a stocks chart
- Menu bar - Shows all menu items on the MT4 platform
MT4 Stocks Platform Setup
