Quick Start with Trade Timer
Video Tutorial with Trade Timer
Getting started with Zignals Trade Timer
Zignals Trade Timer allows you to study the performance of a given signal when paired
with a target and stop strategy.
Define your stocks, risk, signal and lookback period.
Match trade signals to the profit map histogram to maximise returns
Define the lookback period for your Trade Timer
The first step is to set the look back period. Our stock data, covering global markets,
goes back to 2000. The default period is the last year-to-date.
Create your own stocklist or select one of the
default Zignals Global stock lists
Next define the stock, commodities or currency pairs on which the analysis will
be based. Default Zignals lists cover major global markets, but individual stock
lists can be created from the menu items along the bottom. The main window displays
all of the stocks in the current selected list. To remove a stock from the list
click the blue "-" key.
Define your Exit Condition by setting a Target and
Stop, or employ a Trailing Target and Stop.
The next step is to configure your Exit Conditions. A choice is available to use
a simple target and stop, or to use a more progressive trailing target and stop.
In the case of the trailing stop and target each hit of the target adjusts the stop
(calculated from the target price). In a trailing stop and target scenario the trade
exits when the Profit Target is reached.
Exit Condition Rules are represented by the green/red histogram. Any trade entered
on a Green bar day
is profitable. Any trade entered on a Red bar day is a loss
The Exit Conditions will appear as a green/red histogram in the workspace.
Select or create your own rule to test
The third step is to set the governing Entry Rule which the Trade Timer will analyse.
A list of non-editable Zignals rules are available or a new candlestick, momentum,
price, trend or volume rule can be created (edited or deleted).
When a Entry Rule is selected the chart window will update statistics and mark in the chart window the trade signals.
Charts display trades in the chart and show
the Return and Drawdown
Alt: Risk, Win % and Returns. Risk goes from Very Low < 5%
to Very High > 20% Max Drawdown
The Summary gives Return, Risk and DrawDown.. For Buy&Hold the Return
is based on the assumption a position is taken on each day of the lookback period
and held to the end of the test period.
Signal&Stop only assumes a trade is taken on the signal trigger. The trade
is held until either it's stopped out or it reaches its Profit Target.
A cumulative Return is calulated for all signals over the lookback period.
The Risk:Reward calculation is the ratio between Drawdown and Return.
Risk is measured by Maximum drawdown and ranges from Very Low (less than 5% Max Drawdown) to Low (5-10% Max Drawdown), Moderate (10.01-15%), High (15.01-20%) and Very High (>20%).
Return for forefront Signal & Stop and background Buy&Hold;
green for profitable signals - red for losing signals
The light and dark green coloured bars are a graphical represention of Trade Signal and Buy&Hold Returns.
The lighter green bar is the Return for the Signal&Stop.
The darker green bar is the Return for Buy&Hold.
Hovering over the bar will display the Returns value of each.
When the bars are light and dark red it represents a loss for Trade Signal and Buy&Hold respectively.