How to read the signal backtest
The Statistics tab replays the indicator over any pair history. What each number means — and what it does not.
What is actually computed
The backtest takes the last 1000 candles of the selected pair and timeframe, finds every indicator signal on them and walks forward candle by candle from each signal until the trade closes.
A trade closes in one of three ways: price reached the stop level, price reached TP3, or an opposite signal appeared — in which case the position is treated as closed at that bar's close. Signals still open at the end of the sample are excluded from the statistics.
What the metrics mean
- Reached TP1 / TP2 / TP3 — the share of signals where price touched that level at some point. It does not mean the trade was closed there: TP1 and TP2 are marked as reached while the walk continues.
- Closed at the stop — the share of signals where price reached the SL before TP3 or an opposite signal.
- Positive — the share of signals with a positive result at the moment of closing, including those closed by an opposite signal.
- Average result — the mean across all closed signals as a percentage of the entry price. It can be negative even when many signals touched TP1.
- Bars in trade — how many candles passed on average between entry and close. A useful gauge of whether the timeframe suits your holding time.
How we treat ambiguous cases
If one candle touched both the take-profit and the stop, the stop is counted. An hourly candle cannot tell you which came first, and favouring the take-profit would systematically inflate the statistics. We chose the conservative option.
The stop is checked before the take-profits on every candle, for the same reason.
What the backtest does not show
It does not show account return: position size, leverage and trade order are not part of the calculation — everything is measured as a percentage from entry on one notional trade.
It does not account for you skipping some signals or exiting early. The mechanical logic of "enter and wait for TP3 or SL" is not how a person trades.
It is computed over the last 1000 candles, that is, over one particular slice of the market. On a different stretch or in a different market phase the numbers will differ. Run several pairs and timeframes before drawing conclusions.