The best indicator for Momentum (MTUM)
We backtested 382 indicators across daily, weekly and hourly charts on real Momentum (MTUM) history. Here's what actually worked — risk-adjusted, out-of-sample, with costs.
Where Momentum (MTUM) stands
Computed from our own daily OHLCV history, not quoted from a third party. Moving averages use closing prices; "52-week" is the last 252 trading sessions.
Chaikin Oscillator
On the weekly chart, this is the strongest risk-adjusted edge we found for Momentum (MTUM) over ~13.2 years — trailing buy-and-hold by 2.4% CAGR.
Momentum (MTUM) on the weekly chart
The timeframe our backtest found best for this asset. The chart is live market data; the results above are hypothetical and historical.
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Best multi-indicator combo
Going long only when all 2 agree was the strongest confluence setup we found for Momentum (MTUM) — trailing buy-and-hold by 13.3% CAGR, out-of-sample. Fewer, higher-conviction trades than any single indicator.
The winner on each chart
Every indicator, ranked
Ranked by Sharpe (risk-adjusted return). Hypothetical, fees included.
| # | Indicator | TF | CAGR | Sharpe | Max DD | Win | Trades | vs B&H |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chaikin Oscillator ✓ | Weekly | 13.5% | 0.98 | -20.4% | 60.0% | 25 | -2.4% |
| 2 | A/D Oscillator ✓ | Weekly | 13.5% | 0.98 | -20.4% | 60.0% | 25 | -2.4% |
| 3 | McGinley Dynamic ✓ | Weekly | 13.2% | 0.93 | -21.7% | 43.5% | 23 | -2.7% |
| 4 | RSI (21) ✓ | Weekly | 12.8% | 0.92 | -21.0% | 52.0% | 25 | -3.1% |
| 5 | Elastic VW MA ✓ | Weekly | 12.8% | 0.91 | -21.7% | 60.7% | 28 | -3.1% |
| 6 | Donchian Midline ✓ | Weekly | 12.1% | 0.9 | -18.0% | 63.6% | 22 | -3.8% |
| 7 | Williams %R (28) ✓ | Weekly | 12.5% | 0.9 | -24.5% | 65.0% | 20 | -3.4% |
| 8 | Chandelier Exit ✓ | Weekly | 12.7% | 0.89 | -18.9% | 55.0% | 20 | -3.2% |
| 9 | Smoothed MA (Wilder) ✓ | Weekly | 12.5% | 0.89 | -21.0% | 57.7% | 26 | -3.5% |
| 10 | Williams %R (21) ✓ | Weekly | 11.7% | 0.87 | -19.7% | 65.2% | 23 | -4.2% |
| 11 | RSI Trend (>50) ✓ | Weekly | 11.4% | 0.86 | -22.3% | 68.0% | 25 | -4.5% |
| 12 | Detrended Price Osc. ✓ | Weekly | 11.1% | 0.86 | -26.0% | 53.0% | 83 | -4.8% |
| 13 | DeMarker (21) ✓ | Daily | 8.8% | 0.83 | -18.9% | 49.6% | 119 | -7.3% |
| 14 | TSI (13,7) ✓ | Weekly | 10.8% | 0.82 | -17.4% | 64.7% | 17 | -5.1% |
✓ = held up out-of-sample. Hypothetical, costs included. See methodology.
What it would take to beat buy & hold on Momentum (MTUM)
0 of 540 tested setups beat buy-and-hold on Momentum (MTUM) outright. Another 431 could get there with leverage they would survive — but 74 would be liquidated by their own drawdown before they caught it.
| Indicator | Beats B&H unlevered | Leverage needed | Leverage survived |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zero-Lag MACD | — | 2.05× | 8.72× |
| Sine-Weighted MA | — | 2.86× | 6.31× |
| QQE | — | 1.27× | 5.05× |
| Elastic VW MA | — | 1.65× | 7.68× |
| EMA 30 Trend | — | 1.75× | 7.34× |
| Smoothed MA (Wilder) | — | 1.79× | 6.79× |
Out-of-sample, costs included. A setup is only listed if the leverage it needs is less than the leverage its own worst drawdown survives — when it isn't, no amount of leverage gets there. Volatility drag isn't modelled, so these are the optimistic case. Every indicator, ranked this way
For Momentum (MTUM), Chaikin Oscillator on the weekly timeframe gave the best balance of return and risk in our test. It still trailed buy-and-hold on raw return — but remember: this is a hypothetical backtest of a standard rule, not a recommendation. Markets change. See the methodology and disclaimer.
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