Strategy library · Momentum oscillators
Williams %R backtest on NQ and ES futures
Williams %R (14)
Also called: Williams %R 14 strategy, Williams percent R strategy, %R oversold overbought, buy when Williams %R 14 crosses above -80, short when Williams %R 14 crosses below -20
What happens if you buy NQ every time Williams %R 14 crosses above -80?
What it is
Williams %R (14 periods) measures where the close sits in the recent high-low range on a 0 to -100 scale. This strategy goes long when %R crosses above -80, short when it crosses below -20, and exits when %R reaches -20 (longs) or -80 (shorts).
What it did
On NQ futures from 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07, the Williams %R strategy took 934 trades on the 15-minute chart, won 56.3% of them and finished -4,283.00 points (-$85,660 on one NQ contract), before commission and slippage. From 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07 on NQ, the 442 long trades on the 15-minute chart won 62.0% and made -40.75 points (-$815 on one NQ contract), before commission and slippage. On ES futures from 2024-08-28 to 2026-08-27, the Williams %R strategy took 948 trades on the 15-minute chart, won 57.6% of them and finished -483.00 points (-$24,150 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 Williams %R 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 %R crosses above -80; short when it crosses below -20. Exit: %R reaches -20 / -80.
| 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 | 2219 | 63.6% | 0.40 | 1.013 | 885.75 | $17,715 | 5,474.50 | 2236 | 64.1% | 0.18 | 1.030 | 398.00 | $19,900 | 854.50 |
| 5 minute · longs only | 1103 | 65.8% | — | — | 1,732.75 | $34,655 | 2,094.75 | 1107 | 65.9% | — | — | 514.25 | $25,713 | 341.25 |
| 5 minute · shorts only | 1116 | 61.5% | — | — | −847.00 | −$16,940 | 3,979.75 | 1129 | 62.4% | — | — | −116.25 | −$5,812 | 653.75 |
| 15 minute | 934 | 56.3% | −4.59 | 0.904 | −4,283.00 | −$85,660 | 8,554.75 | 948 | 57.6% | −0.51 | 0.946 | −483.00 | −$24,150 | 1,236.75 |
| 15 minute · longs only | 442 | 62.0% | — | — | −40.75 | −$815 | 3,120.00 | 454 | 60.8% | — | — | −139.75 | −$6,987 | 490.75 |
| 15 minute · shorts only | 492 | 51.2% | — | — | −4,242.25 | −$84,845 | 6,235.50 | 494 | 54.7% | — | — | −343.25 | −$17,162 | 962.50 |
| 1 hour | 457 | 51.2% | −8.58 | 0.861 | −3,922.50 | −$78,450 | 5,521.50 | 466 | 51.9% | −0.62 | 0.948 | −289.75 | −$14,487 | 1,215.75 |
| 1 hour · longs only | 217 | 54.8% | — | — | −1,304.00 | −$26,080 | 3,049.75 | 219 | 53.4% | — | — | −42.50 | −$2,125 | 593.25 |
| 1 hour · shorts only | 240 | 47.9% | — | — | −2,618.50 | −$52,370 | 3,487.00 | 247 | 50.6% | — | — | −247.25 | −$12,362 | 795.00 |
| Daily | 27 | 77.8% | 202.54 | 1.933 | 5,468.50 | $109,370 | 4,483.75 | 28 | 78.6% | 27.50 | 1.614 | 770.00 | $38,500 | 974.50 |
| Daily · longs only | 13 | 92.3% | — | — | 3,116.50 | $62,330 | 2,630.50 | 14 | 85.7% | — | — | 540.25 | $27,013 | 504.25 |
| Daily · shorts only | 14 | 64.3% | — | — | 2,352.00 | $47,040 | 2,384.50 | 14 | 71.4% | — | — | 229.75 | $11,488 | 523.00 |
Free to use with credit to CE Market Solutions (CC BY 4.0).
ES 5 minute: the equity line
Long and short
| Side | Trades | Net pts |
|---|---|---|
| Long | 1107 | 514.25 |
| Short | 1129 | −116.25 |
By month
| Month | Trades | Net pts |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-08 | 11 | −99.50 |
| 2024-09 | 89 | −4.50 |
| 2024-10 | 96 | −41.00 |
| 2024-11 | 83 | −5.00 |
| 2024-12 | 99 | −222.75 |
| 2025-01 | 91 | 111.75 |
| 2025-02 | 89 | −110.25 |
| 2025-03 | 93 | 173.25 |
| 2025-04 | 88 | −273.75 |
| 2025-05 | 107 | 226.00 |
| 2025-06 | 86 | 34.50 |
| 2025-07 | 99 | 12.50 |
| 2025-08 | 88 | −49.25 |
| 2025-09 | 95 | 107.50 |
| 2025-10 | 95 | −77.00 |
| 2025-11 | 86 | 104.00 |
| 2025-12 | 103 | 142.25 |
| 2026-01 | 92 | −23.00 |
| 2026-02 | 91 | −34.75 |
| 2026-03 | 93 | 18.75 |
| 2026-04 | 94 | −5.25 |
| 2026-05 | 96 | 251.75 |
| 2026-06 | 97 | 260.75 |
| 2026-07 | 92 | −54.50 |
| 2026-08 | 83 | −44.50 |
Every trade, ES 5 minute2236 trades
Pick any of the 2236 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 (2236), 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-08-04 | short | 10:10 | 6332.00 | 15:59 | 6357.00 | end of day 15:59 | −25.00 |
| 2025-08-01 | short | 14:55 | 6258.75 | 15:59 | 6263.50 | end of day 15:59 | −4.75 |
| 2025-08-01 | long | 13:50 | 6257.00 | 14:25 | 6256.50 | wpr reached -20 | −0.50 |
| 2025-08-01 | short | 12:30 | 6289.00 | 12:50 | 6277.25 | wpr reached -80 | 11.75 |
| 2025-08-01 | long | 10:10 | 6260.75 | 11:45 | 6283.50 | wpr reached -20 | 22.75 |
| 2025-07-31 | long | 15:45 | 6387.25 | 15:59 | 6371.00 | end of day 15:59 | −16.25 |
| 2025-07-31 | short | 14:55 | 6398.50 | 15:30 | 6379.50 | wpr reached -80 | 19.00 |
| 2025-07-31 | long | 13:40 | 6404.25 | 14:50 | 6400.50 | wpr reached -20 | −3.75 |
| 2025-07-31 | short | 12:50 | 6431.00 | 13:05 | 6423.00 | wpr reached -80 | 8.00 |
| 2025-07-31 | long | 09:35 | 6443.25 | 12:00 | 6427.25 | wpr reached -20 | −16.00 |
| 2025-07-30 | long | 14:45 | 6416.25 | 15:59 | 6397.50 | end of day 15:59 | −18.75 |
| 2025-07-30 | short | 13:50 | 6418.00 | 14:40 | 6415.25 | wpr reached -80 | 2.75 |
| 2025-07-30 | long | 13:35 | 6416.50 | 13:40 | 6419.25 | wpr reached -20 | 2.75 |
| 2025-07-30 | short | 12:45 | 6416.25 | 13:25 | 6414.50 | wpr reached -80 | 1.75 |
| 2025-07-30 | long | 11:20 | 6406.00 | 12:10 | 6413.50 | wpr reached -20 | 7.50 |
| 2025-07-30 | short | 09:50 | 6408.25 | 11:15 | 6404.00 | wpr reached -80 | 4.25 |
| 2025-07-29 | long | 13:55 | 6406.00 | 15:59 | 6406.00 | end of day 15:59 | 0.00 |
| 2025-07-29 | short | 13:25 | 6415.50 | 13:45 | 6405.75 | wpr reached -80 | 9.75 |
| 2025-07-29 | long | 09:50 | 6430.25 | 13:00 | 6415.00 | wpr reached -20 | −15.25 |
| 2025-07-29 | short | 09:35 | 6435.75 | 09:45 | 6434.00 | wpr reached -80 | 1.75 |
| 2025-07-28 | long | 13:05 | 6423.75 | 15:45 | 6416.50 | wpr reached -20 | −7.25 |
| 2025-07-28 | short | 12:10 | 6424.25 | 12:45 | 6424.75 | wpr reached -80 | −0.50 |
| 2025-07-28 | long | 10:00 | 6427.75 | 12:05 | 6427.00 | wpr reached -20 | −0.75 |
| 2025-07-25 | long | 15:40 | 6429.25 | 15:59 | 6425.75 | end of day 15:59 | −3.50 |
| 2025-07-25 | short | 13:20 | 6422.75 | 15:35 | 6427.75 | wpr reached -80 | −5.00 |
| 2025-07-25 | long | 11:50 | 6412.75 | 12:10 | 6414.75 | wpr reached -20 | 2.00 |
| 2025-07-25 | short | 10:25 | 6406.75 | 11:45 | 6411.00 | wpr reached -80 | −4.25 |
| 2025-07-25 | long | 10:10 | 6406.00 | 10:20 | 6410.25 | wpr reached -20 | 4.25 |
| 2025-07-24 | short | 13:30 | 6410.50 | 15:59 | 6401.75 | end of day 15:59 | 8.75 |
| 2025-07-24 | long | 12:20 | 6405.75 | 13:10 | 6411.25 | wpr reached -20 | 5.50 |
| 2025-07-24 | short | 09:40 | 6398.50 | 12:10 | 6407.00 | wpr reached -80 | −8.50 |
| 2025-07-23 | short | 11:05 | 6363.00 | 15:45 | 6387.00 | wpr reached -80 | −24.00 |
| 2025-07-23 | long | 10:10 | 6360.00 | 10:55 | 6362.50 | wpr reached -20 | 2.50 |
| 2025-07-22 | short | 13:10 | 6335.75 | 15:59 | 6345.50 | end of day 15:59 | −9.75 |
| 2025-07-22 | long | 12:35 | 6332.00 | 13:05 | 6336.50 | wpr reached -20 | 4.50 |
| 2025-07-22 | short | 11:15 | 6333.50 | 12:30 | 6329.25 | wpr reached -80 | 4.25 |
| 2025-07-22 | long | 10:00 | 6326.00 | 11:00 | 6336.75 | wpr reached -20 | 10.75 |
| 2025-07-22 | short | 09:45 | 6347.00 | 09:50 | 6337.25 | wpr reached -80 | 9.75 |
| 2025-07-22 | long | 09:40 | 6348.25 | 09:45 | 6347.00 | opposite signal | −1.25 |
| 2025-07-21 | long | 14:20 | 6370.00 | 15:59 | 6345.25 | end of day 15:59 | −24.75 |
| 2025-07-21 | short | 13:10 | 6371.25 | 14:10 | 6369.50 | wpr reached -80 | 1.75 |
| 2025-07-21 | long | 12:30 | 6366.00 | 13:05 | 6372.00 | wpr reached -20 | 6.00 |
| 2025-07-21 | short | 10:50 | 6367.25 | 12:25 | 6364.50 | wpr reached -80 | 2.75 |
| 2025-07-18 | short | 13:45 | 6330.75 | 15:59 | 6334.75 | end of day 15:59 | −4.00 |
| 2025-07-18 | long | 12:40 | 6327.50 | 13:35 | 6331.75 | wpr reached -20 | 4.25 |
| 2025-07-18 | short | 11:40 | 6336.50 | 12:35 | 6326.00 | wpr reached -80 | 10.50 |
| 2025-07-18 | long | 09:50 | 6349.00 | 11:35 | 6337.25 | wpr reached -20 | −11.75 |
| 2025-07-18 | short | 09:35 | 6347.75 | 09:45 | 6344.75 | wpr reached -80 | 3.00 |
| 2025-07-17 | short | 14:15 | 6332.50 | 15:59 | 6342.25 | end of day 15:59 | −9.75 |
| 2025-07-17 | long | 12:45 | 6329.00 | 13:35 | 6332.00 | wpr reached -20 | 3.00 |
Questions and answers
What happens if you buy NQ every time Williams %R 14 crosses above -80?
From 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07 on the NQ 15-minute chart, the Williams %R strategy took 442 long trades, won 62.0% of them and made -40.75 points (-$815 on one NQ contract), before commission and slippage. From 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07 on NQ, its long trades also made 1,732.75 points on 1,103 trades on the 5-minute chart, -1,304.00 points on 217 trades on the 1-hour chart and 3,116.50 points on 13 trades on the daily chart, before commission and slippage.
What happens if you short ES every time Williams %R 14 crosses below -20?
From 2024-08-28 to 2026-08-27 on the ES 15-minute chart, the Williams %R strategy took 494 short trades, won 54.7% of them and made -343.25 points (-$17,162 on one ES contract), before commission and slippage. From 2024-08-28 to 2026-08-27 on ES, its short trades also made -116.25 points on 1,129 trades on the 5-minute chart, -247.25 points on 247 trades on the 1-hour chart and 229.75 points on 14 trades on the daily chart, before commission and slippage.
Does the Williams %R strategy work on Nasdaq futures?
On NQ futures from 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07, the Williams %R strategy on the 15-minute chart took 934 trades, won 56.3% of them and finished -4,283.00 points (-$85,660 on one NQ contract), before commission and slippage.
What is the win rate of Williams %R (14) on ES futures?
The Williams %R strategy won 57.6% of its 948 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 64.1% of 2,236 trades on the 5-minute chart, 51.9% of 466 trades on the 1-hour chart and 78.6% of 28 trades on the daily chart, before commission and slippage.
Is the Williams %R 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 Williams %R strategy made 885.75 points on 2,219 trades on the 5-minute chart, -4,283.00 points on 934 trades on the 15-minute chart, -3,922.50 points on 457 trades on the 1-hour chart and 5,468.50 points on 27 trades on the daily chart, before commission and slippage.
Is it better to only buy or only sell Williams %R signals on NQ?
On the NQ 15-minute chart from 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07, the long trades made -40.75 points on 442 trades (62.0% won) and the short trades made -4,242.25 points on 492 trades (51.2% won), before commission and slippage.
How many trades does the Williams %R strategy take on NQ in two years?
The Williams %R strategy took 934 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 2,219 on the 5-minute chart, 457 on the 1-hour chart and 27 on the daily chart, before commission and slippage.
What is the max drawdown of the Williams %R strategy on NQ?
The Williams %R strategy had a max drawdown of 8,554.75 points ($171,095 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 5,474.50 points on the 5-minute chart, 5,521.50 points on the 1-hour chart and 4,483.75 points on the daily chart, before commission and slippage.
How does the Williams %R strategy do on ES compared with NQ?
On the ES 15-minute chart from 2024-08-28 to 2026-08-27, the Williams %R strategy took 948 trades, won 57.6% of them and made -483.00 points (-$24,150 on one ES contract), before commission and slippage. On the NQ 15-minute chart from 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07, the Williams %R strategy took 934 trades, won 56.3% of them and made -4,283.00 points (-$85,660 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.