Strategy library · Momentum oscillators
Ultimate Oscillator 30/70 backtest on NQ and ES futures
Ultimate Oscillator 30 / 70
Also called: Ultimate Oscillator strategy, UO 30 70, Larry Williams Ultimate Oscillator, buy when the Ultimate Oscillator crosses back above 30, short when the Ultimate Oscillator crosses back below 70
What happens if you buy NQ every time the Ultimate Oscillator crosses back above 30?
What it is
The Ultimate Oscillator (UO) combines buying pressure over three time periods into one 0 to 100 reading. This strategy goes long when the UO crosses back above 30, short when it crosses back below 70, and exits when the UO reaches 70 (longs) or 30 (shorts).
What it did
On NQ futures from 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07, the Ultimate Oscillator 30/70 strategy took 226 trades on the 15-minute chart, won 46.0% of them and finished -3,393.75 points (-$67,875 on one NQ contract), before commission and slippage. From 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07 on NQ, the 75 long trades on the 15-minute chart won 52.0% and made -2,461.00 points (-$49,220 on one NQ contract), before commission and slippage. On ES futures from 2024-08-28 to 2026-08-27, the Ultimate Oscillator 30/70 strategy took 220 trades on the 15-minute chart, won 47.3% of them and finished -586.00 points (-$29,300 on one ES contract), before commission and slippage. The 5-minute, 1-hour and daily results for both markets are in the table on this page.
How it was tested
CE Market Solutions tested the Ultimate Oscillator 30/70 strategy on NQ (2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07) and ES (2024-08-28 to 2026-08-27) futures, before commission and slippage, with each signal filled at the next bar's open, intraday positions flat at 15:59 ET and textbook default indicator settings; the NQ trades are listed on this page and the ES trades under the ES tab.
See it tested with one change · $19
Tested by CE Market Solutions on 2026-10-26. The trades are listed below, one market at a time. Gross, no commission or slippage. Last 2 years.
Results
Rule as tested: Long when UO crosses back above 30; short when it crosses back below 70. Exit: UO reaches 70 / 30.
| Timeframe | NQ · 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07 | ES · 2024-08-28 to 2026-08-27 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trades | Win % | Avg pts | Profit factor | Net pts | Net $ (1 NQ) | Max DD pts | Trades | Win % | Avg pts | Profit factor | Net pts | Net $ (1 ES) | Max DD pts | |
| 5 minute | 425 | 52.2% | −6.23 | 0.894 | −2,648.75 | −$52,975 | 4,742.50 | 424 | 51.7% | −0.66 | 0.945 | −281.00 | −$14,050 | 1,271.50 |
| 5 minute · longs only | 157 | 56.1% | — | — | −876.50 | −$17,530 | 3,123.25 | 166 | 56.0% | — | — | −38.00 | −$1,900 | 580.25 |
| 5 minute · shorts only | 268 | 50.0% | — | — | −1,772.25 | −$35,445 | 2,785.25 | 258 | 48.8% | — | — | −243.00 | −$12,150 | 753.25 |
| 15 minute | 226 | 46.0% | −15.02 | 0.753 | −3,393.75 | −$67,875 | 4,386.25 | 220 | 47.3% | −2.66 | 0.777 | −586.00 | −$29,300 | 792.25 |
| 15 minute · longs only | 75 | 52.0% | — | — | −2,461.00 | −$49,220 | 3,472.75 | 78 | 51.3% | — | — | −239.00 | −$11,950 | 306.00 |
| 15 minute · shorts only | 151 | 43.1% | — | — | −932.75 | −$18,655 | 1,833.75 | 142 | 45.1% | — | — | −347.00 | −$17,350 | 626.50 |
| 1 hour | 86 | 46.5% | 7.88 | 1.150 | 677.75 | $13,555 | 1,592.00 | 80 | 53.8% | 1.31 | 1.143 | 104.75 | $5,238 | 374.75 |
| 1 hour · longs only | 28 | 50.0% | — | — | −178.50 | −$3,570 | 1,149.00 | 23 | 52.2% | — | — | −32.75 | −$1,637 | 350.25 |
| 1 hour · shorts only | 58 | 44.8% | — | — | 856.25 | $17,125 | 503.25 | 57 | 54.4% | — | — | 137.50 | $6,875 | 156.00 |
| Daily | 3 | 66.7% | −1,175.33 | 0.650 | −3,526.00 | −$70,520 | 10,084.75 | 3 | 66.7% | −177.33 | 0.710 | −532.00 | −$26,600 | 1,834.00 |
| Daily · longs only | 1 | 100.0% | — | — | 2,169.00 | $43,380 | 0.00 | 1 | 100.0% | — | — | 491.00 | $24,550 | 0.00 |
| Daily · shorts only | 2 | 50.0% | — | — | −5,695.00 | −$113,900 | 10,084.75 | 2 | 50.0% | — | — | −1,023.00 | −$51,150 | 1,834.00 |
NQ Daily: small sample (3 trades). ES Daily: small sample (3 trades).
Free to use with credit to CE Market Solutions (CC BY 4.0).
NQ 5 minute: the equity line
Long and short
| Side | Trades | Net pts |
|---|---|---|
| Long | 157 | −876.50 |
| Short | 268 | −1,772.25 |
By month
| Month | Trades | Net pts |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-10 | 15 | −335.00 |
| 2024-11 | 18 | −417.50 |
| 2024-12 | 19 | −870.00 |
| 2025-01 | 23 | 244.00 |
| 2025-02 | 11 | −870.25 |
| 2025-03 | 16 | 67.50 |
| 2025-04 | 22 | −2,213.50 |
| 2025-05 | 13 | 556.75 |
| 2025-06 | 13 | 692.00 |
| 2025-07 | 16 | −2.25 |
| 2025-08 | 19 | −568.00 |
| 2025-09 | 12 | −9.75 |
| 2025-10 | 16 | −174.75 |
| 2025-11 | 19 | −308.25 |
| 2025-12 | 18 | −315.50 |
| 2026-01 | 21 | 683.25 |
| 2026-02 | 21 | −15.75 |
| 2026-03 | 13 | 30.25 |
| 2026-04 | 15 | −73.25 |
| 2026-05 | 19 | 290.00 |
| 2026-06 | 19 | −151.00 |
| 2026-07 | 23 | 712.25 |
| 2026-08 | 21 | 125.00 |
| 2026-09 | 18 | 108.75 |
| 2026-10 | 5 | 166.25 |
Every trade, NQ 5 minute425 trades
Pick any of the 425 charted trades with Previous, Next or a date, or click a row in the trades table below, to see it drawn on the real 1-minute bars. Drag the chart sideways to move through the sessions around it.
Chart unavailable. The trades are in the table below.
All trades (425), newest first
Times are New York time; points are gross. Click a row to draw that trade in the chart above.
| Session date | Side | Entry (ET) | Entry price | Exit (ET) | Exit price | Exit reason | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-01 | short | 11:25 | 20081.00 | 15:59 | 19877.75 | end of day 15:59 | 203.25 |
| 2025-04-30 | short | 10:50 | 19326.50 | 15:59 | 19642.50 | end of day 15:59 | −316.00 |
| 2025-04-29 | short | 14:20 | 19660.75 | 15:59 | 19644.75 | end of day 15:59 | 16.00 |
| 2025-04-25 | short | 11:20 | 19364.25 | 15:59 | 19530.00 | end of day 15:59 | −165.75 |
| 2025-04-24 | short | 10:45 | 19121.75 | 15:59 | 19319.75 | end of day 15:59 | −198.00 |
| 2025-04-23 | long | 15:45 | 18761.75 | 15:59 | 18788.25 | end of day 15:59 | 26.50 |
| 2025-04-23 | short | 13:30 | 18921.50 | 15:25 | 18767.50 | uo reached 30 | 154.00 |
| 2025-04-22 | short | 09:55 | 18221.00 | 15:59 | 18380.00 | end of day 15:59 | −159.00 |
| 2025-04-21 | long | 14:10 | 17719.00 | 15:59 | 17922.25 | end of day 15:59 | 203.25 |
| 2025-04-16 | long | 14:10 | 18352.00 | 15:59 | 18386.75 | end of day 15:59 | 34.75 |
| 2025-04-15 | short | 10:00 | 19068.25 | 15:59 | 18959.50 | end of day 15:59 | 108.75 |
| 2025-04-14 | short | 14:55 | 19016.50 | 15:59 | 18942.25 | end of day 15:59 | 74.25 |
| 2025-04-11 | short | 15:40 | 18817.75 | 15:59 | 18809.50 | end of day 15:59 | 8.25 |
| 2025-04-10 | long | 11:55 | 18390.75 | 15:59 | 18483.00 | end of day 15:59 | 92.25 |
| 2025-04-09 | short | 13:10 | 17568.00 | 15:59 | 19269.50 | end of day 15:59 | −1,701.50 |
| 2025-04-08 | long | 12:45 | 17715.75 | 15:59 | 17239.50 | end of day 15:59 | −476.25 |
| 2025-04-07 | short | 13:50 | 17713.75 | 15:59 | 17560.75 | end of day 15:59 | 153.00 |
| 2025-04-04 | long | 10:40 | 17896.75 | 15:59 | 17534.75 | end of day 15:59 | −362.00 |
| 2025-04-03 | long | 14:25 | 18773.75 | 15:59 | 18685.75 | end of day 15:59 | −88.00 |
| 2025-04-03 | short | 09:45 | 18993.00 | 14:20 | 18773.25 | uo reached 30 | 219.75 |
| 2025-04-02 | short | 09:55 | 19530.50 | 15:59 | 19746.50 | end of day 15:59 | −216.00 |
| 2025-04-01 | long | 14:35 | 19412.00 | 15:59 | 19603.50 | end of day 15:59 | 191.50 |
| 2025-04-01 | short | 11:20 | 19573.25 | 14:25 | 19386.50 | uo reached 30 | 186.75 |
| 2025-03-31 | short | 14:40 | 19395.75 | 15:59 | 19450.00 | end of day 15:59 | −54.25 |
| 2025-03-31 | long | 09:40 | 19070.00 | 14:35 | 19383.75 | uo reached 70 | 313.75 |
| 2025-03-28 | long | 10:40 | 19635.00 | 15:59 | 19461.50 | end of day 15:59 | −173.50 |
| 2025-03-27 | short | 11:05 | 20172.50 | 15:59 | 19994.50 | end of day 15:59 | 178.00 |
| 2025-03-27 | long | 09:45 | 19980.00 | 11:00 | 20189.75 | uo reached 70 | 209.75 |
| 2025-03-26 | long | 10:25 | 20254.00 | 15:59 | 20112.50 | end of day 15:59 | −141.50 |
| 2025-03-20 | short | 10:10 | 20004.00 | 15:59 | 19881.25 | end of day 15:59 | 122.75 |
| 2025-03-19 | short | 10:25 | 19867.75 | 15:59 | 19953.50 | end of day 15:59 | −85.75 |
| 2025-03-18 | long | 10:05 | 19488.75 | 15:59 | 19501.50 | end of day 15:59 | 12.75 |
| 2025-03-17 | short | 09:45 | 19812.00 | 15:59 | 19831.75 | end of day 15:59 | −19.75 |
| 2025-03-14 | short | 10:00 | 19545.25 | 15:59 | 19705.25 | end of day 15:59 | −160.00 |
| 2025-03-12 | short | 12:35 | 19711.25 | 15:59 | 19609.00 | end of day 15:59 | 102.25 |
| 2025-03-11 | short | 14:55 | 19658.75 | 15:59 | 19393.00 | end of day 15:59 | 265.75 |
| 2025-03-10 | long | 13:15 | 19499.00 | 15:59 | 19463.50 | end of day 15:59 | −35.50 |
| 2025-03-07 | short | 13:00 | 19945.50 | 15:59 | 20224.00 | end of day 15:59 | −278.50 |
| 2025-03-05 | short | 13:10 | 20469.25 | 15:59 | 20658.00 | end of day 15:59 | −188.75 |
| 2025-02-27 | long | 10:05 | 20977.25 | 15:59 | 20608.25 | end of day 15:59 | −369.00 |
| 2025-02-26 | short | 10:30 | 21282.25 | 15:59 | 21191.25 | end of day 15:59 | 91.00 |
| 2025-02-25 | long | 10:40 | 21118.50 | 15:59 | 21149.75 | end of day 15:59 | 31.25 |
| 2025-02-24 | long | 09:45 | 21711.50 | 15:59 | 21421.00 | end of day 15:59 | −290.50 |
| 2025-02-20 | long | 10:05 | 22031.25 | 15:59 | 22144.75 | end of day 15:59 | 113.50 |
| 2025-02-14 | short | 15:45 | 22195.50 | 15:59 | 22194.25 | end of day 15:59 | 1.25 |
| 2025-02-13 | short | 09:40 | 21854.75 | 15:59 | 22109.75 | end of day 15:59 | −255.00 |
| 2025-02-12 | short | 10:00 | 21677.00 | 15:59 | 21802.00 | end of day 15:59 | −125.00 |
| 2025-02-10 | short | 10:30 | 21863.25 | 15:59 | 21843.75 | end of day 15:59 | 19.50 |
| 2025-02-05 | short | 12:20 | 21718.00 | 15:59 | 21761.25 | end of day 15:59 | −43.25 |
| 2025-02-04 | short | 10:15 | 21624.25 | 15:59 | 21668.25 | end of day 15:59 | −44.00 |
Questions and answers
What happens if you buy NQ every time the Ultimate Oscillator crosses back above 30?
From 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07 on the NQ 15-minute chart, the Ultimate Oscillator 30/70 strategy took 75 long trades, won 52.0% of them and made -2,461.00 points (-$49,220 on one NQ contract), before commission and slippage. From 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07 on NQ, its long trades also made -876.50 points on 157 trades on the 5-minute chart, -178.50 points on 28 trades on the 1-hour chart and 2,169.00 points on 1 trade on the daily chart, before commission and slippage.
What happens if you short ES every time the Ultimate Oscillator crosses back below 70?
From 2024-08-28 to 2026-08-27 on the ES 15-minute chart, the Ultimate Oscillator 30/70 strategy took 142 short trades, won 45.1% of them and made -347.00 points (-$17,350 on one ES contract), before commission and slippage. From 2024-08-28 to 2026-08-27 on ES, its short trades also made -243.00 points on 258 trades on the 5-minute chart, 137.50 points on 57 trades on the 1-hour chart and -1,023.00 points on 2 trades on the daily chart, before commission and slippage.
Does the Ultimate Oscillator 30/70 strategy work on Nasdaq futures?
On NQ futures from 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07, the Ultimate Oscillator 30/70 strategy on the 15-minute chart took 226 trades, won 46.0% of them and finished -3,393.75 points (-$67,875 on one NQ contract), before commission and slippage.
What is the win rate of Ultimate Oscillator 30 / 70 on ES futures?
The Ultimate Oscillator 30/70 strategy won 47.3% of its 220 trades on the ES 15-minute chart from 2024-08-28 to 2026-08-27, before commission and slippage. On ES from 2024-08-28 to 2026-08-27 it also won 51.7% of 424 trades on the 5-minute chart, 53.8% of 80 trades on the 1-hour chart and 66.7% of 3 trades on the daily chart, before commission and slippage.
Is the Ultimate Oscillator 30/70 strategy better on the 5-minute, 15-minute, 1-hour or daily chart for NQ?
On NQ from 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07, the Ultimate Oscillator 30/70 strategy made -2,648.75 points on 425 trades on the 5-minute chart, -3,393.75 points on 226 trades on the 15-minute chart, 677.75 points on 86 trades on the 1-hour chart and -3,526.00 points on 3 trades on the daily chart, before commission and slippage.
Is it better to only buy or only sell Ultimate Oscillator 30/70 signals on NQ?
On the NQ 15-minute chart from 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07, the long trades made -2,461.00 points on 75 trades (52.0% won) and the short trades made -932.75 points on 151 trades (43.1% won), before commission and slippage.
How many trades does the Ultimate Oscillator 30/70 strategy take on NQ in two years?
The Ultimate Oscillator 30/70 strategy took 226 trades on the NQ 15-minute chart from 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07, before commission and slippage. On NQ from 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07 it also took 425 on the 5-minute chart, 86 on the 1-hour chart and 3 on the daily chart, before commission and slippage.
What is the max drawdown of the Ultimate Oscillator 30/70 strategy on NQ?
The Ultimate Oscillator 30/70 strategy had a max drawdown of 4,386.25 points ($87,725 on one NQ contract) on the NQ 15-minute chart from 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07, before commission and slippage. On NQ from 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07 its max drawdown was also 4,742.50 points on the 5-minute chart, 1,592.00 points on the 1-hour chart and 10,084.75 points on the daily chart, before commission and slippage.
How does the Ultimate Oscillator 30/70 strategy do on ES compared with NQ?
On the ES 15-minute chart from 2024-08-28 to 2026-08-27, the Ultimate Oscillator 30/70 strategy took 220 trades, won 47.3% of them and made -586.00 points (-$29,300 on one ES contract), before commission and slippage. On the NQ 15-minute chart from 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07, the Ultimate Oscillator 30/70 strategy took 226 trades, won 46.0% of them and made -3,393.75 points (-$67,875 on one NQ contract), before commission and slippage.
How these were run
- Gross: no commission and no slippage.
- The last 2 years of each market, from the first to the last session of its window.
- A signal on a closed bar fills at the next bar’s open.
- A stop and a target touched in the same minute count as the stop.
- Intraday positions are flat at 15:59 ET.
- Textbook TradingView default settings for every indicator; nothing is tuned.
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