MA Regime Backtest

Long the index when DMA regime confirmed bull for 2 trading days. Cash (earning country's liquid fund yield) when confirmed bear for 2 trading days. Compared against simple buy-and-hold.
confirm 2 days
How this strategy works. Each day, we check if the regime (price above/below the chosen DMA) has been consistent for at least 2 trading days. If two consecutive bull days → go long the index. If two consecutive bear days → move to cash earning the country's risk-free rate. Otherwise, hold the previous position. This 2-day confirmation reduces whipsaws from one-day regime flips. No transaction costs, no slippage. Cash yield is approximate but realistic.
Strategy
Long in bull / cash in bear
Total return
CAGR
Sharpe
Ann. vol
Max drawdown
Benchmark
Buy & hold just held the index
Total return
CAGR
Sharpe
Ann. vol
Max drawdown
Strategy vs Buy & hold
Return difference
strategy minus B&H
Vol reduction
lower vol is better
Drawdown reduction
less negative is better
Equity curve — ₹100 invested at start
Strategy behaviour
Total trades
buys + sells
Buys
cash → long
Sells
long → cash
% time invested
Most recent 30 trades
Date Action Index price Trigger (2 days of consistent regime)
What to look for. Three questions to answer with this backtest:
  1. Does the strategy reduce drawdown? Usually yes — exiting in bear regimes typically dodges the worst of the crashes.
  2. Does it reduce volatility? Almost always yes — cash periods damp the overall ride.
  3. Does the return give-up justify the risk reduction? Compare the Sharpe ratios. If strategy Sharpe ≥ buy-and-hold Sharpe, you got risk-adjusted improvement.
Pre-cost gross returns. Real-world friction (commissions, bid-ask, taxes on each trade) would erode strategy returns more than buy-and-hold's. Strategies with many trades suffer more. Not investment advice — see Disclaimer Terms.