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 daily: the equity line
Long and short
| Side | Trades | Net pts |
|---|---|---|
| Long | 14 | 540.25 |
| Short | 14 | 229.75 |
By month
| Month | Trades | Net pts |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-08 | 1 | 53.00 |
| 2024-09 | 2 | 85.50 |
| 2024-11 | 2 | 239.50 |
| 2024-12 | 1 | 58.75 |
| 2025-01 | 1 | 53.00 |
| 2025-02 | 1 | −504.25 |
| 2025-05 | 1 | −343.50 |
| 2025-08 | 2 | −126.75 |
| 2025-10 | 2 | 125.50 |
| 2025-11 | 1 | 132.75 |
| 2025-12 | 3 | 281.50 |
| 2026-01 | 2 | 297.50 |
| 2026-02 | 2 | 218.25 |
| 2026-03 | 1 | −39.00 |
| 2026-05 | 1 | −139.25 |
| 2026-06 | 2 | 242.50 |
| 2026-07 | 1 | 86.00 |
| 2026-08 | 2 | 49.00 |
Every trade, ES daily28 trades
Daily results show the table and the equity line; there is no chart viewer for them yet.
All trades (28), newest first
Times are New York time; points are gross.
| Session date | Side | Entry (ET) | Entry price | Exit (ET) | Exit price | Exit reason | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-27 | long | 2026-08-26 18:00 | 7722.00 | 2026-08-27 16:59 | 7733.00 | window end | 11.00 |
| 2026-08-19 | short | 2026-08-18 18:00 | 7714.00 | 2026-08-24 18:00 | 7676.00 | wpr reached -80 | 38.00 |
| 2026-07-22 | long | 2026-07-21 18:00 | 7545.00 | 2026-08-03 18:00 | 7631.00 | wpr reached -20 | 86.00 |
| 2026-06-17 | short | 2026-06-16 18:00 | 7581.25 | 2026-07-19 18:00 | 7485.00 | wpr reached -80 | 96.25 |
| 2026-06-09 | long | 2026-06-08 18:00 | 7412.75 | 2026-06-15 16:59 | 7559.00 | wpr reached -20 | 146.25 |
| 2026-05-05 | short | 2026-05-04 18:00 | 7228.75 | 2026-06-07 18:00 | 7368.00 | wpr reached -80 | −139.25 |
| 2026-03-10 | long | 2026-03-09 18:00 | 6800.75 | 2026-04-08 18:00 | 6814.25 | wpr reached -20 | −39.00 |
| 2026-02-27 | short | 2026-02-26 18:00 | 6899.00 | 2026-03-08 18:00 | 6685.50 | wpr reached -80 | 213.50 |
| 2026-02-09 | long | 2026-02-08 18:00 | 6960.25 | 2026-02-25 18:00 | 6965.00 | wpr reached -20 | 4.75 |
| 2026-01-30 | short | 2026-01-29 18:00 | 6992.75 | 2026-02-05 18:00 | 6785.50 | wpr reached -80 | 207.25 |
| 2026-01-22 | long | 2026-01-21 18:00 | 6920.00 | 2026-01-27 18:00 | 7010.25 | wpr reached -20 | 90.25 |
| 2025-12-31 | short | 2025-12-30 18:00 | 6945.50 | 2026-01-20 18:00 | 6839.00 | wpr reached -80 | 106.50 |
| 2025-12-19 | long | 2025-12-18 18:00 | 6824.75 | 2025-12-23 18:00 | 6959.50 | wpr reached -20 | 134.75 |
| 2025-12-15 | short | 2025-12-14 18:00 | 6831.00 | 2025-12-16 18:00 | 6849.25 | wpr reached -80 | 40.25 |
| 2025-11-20 | long | 2025-11-19 18:00 | 6697.50 | 2025-11-26 18:00 | 6830.25 | wpr reached -20 | 132.75 |
| 2025-10-23 | short | 2025-10-22 18:00 | 6733.50 | 2025-11-17 18:00 | 6696.50 | wpr reached -80 | 37.00 |
| 2025-10-14 | long | 2025-10-13 18:00 | 6691.00 | 2025-10-20 18:00 | 6779.50 | wpr reached -20 | 88.50 |
| 2025-08-12 | short | 2025-08-11 18:00 | 6396.00 | 2025-10-12 18:00 | 6632.00 | wpr reached -80 | −179.50 |
| 2025-08-05 | long | 2025-08-04 18:00 | 6370.00 | 2025-08-10 18:00 | 6422.75 | wpr reached -20 | 52.75 |
| 2025-05-22 | short | 2025-05-21 18:00 | 5858.00 | 2025-08-03 18:00 | 6257.00 | wpr reached -80 | −343.50 |
| 2025-02-26 | long | 2025-02-25 18:00 | 5982.00 | 2025-04-24 18:00 | 5529.00 | wpr reached -20 | −504.25 |
| 2025-01-28 | short | 2025-01-27 18:00 | 6059.50 | 2025-02-24 18:00 | 6006.50 | wpr reached -80 | 53.00 |
| 2024-12-23 | long | 2024-12-22 18:00 | 6001.75 | 2025-01-20 18:00 | 6060.50 | wpr reached -20 | 58.75 |
| 2024-11-15 | short | 2024-11-14 18:00 | 5972.00 | 2024-12-18 18:00 | 5949.50 | wpr reached -80 | 96.25 |
| 2024-11-06 | long | 2024-11-05 18:00 | 5820.25 | 2024-11-06 18:00 | 5963.50 | wpr reached -20 | 143.25 |
| 2024-09-19 | short | 2024-09-18 18:00 | 5693.00 | 2024-10-31 18:00 | 5742.00 | wpr reached -80 | −49.00 |
| 2024-09-10 | long | 2024-09-09 18:00 | 5488.25 | 2024-09-15 18:00 | 5622.75 | wpr reached -20 | 134.50 |
| 2024-08-29 | short | 2024-08-28 18:00 | 5580.50 | 2024-09-04 18:00 | 5527.50 | wpr reached -80 | 53.00 |
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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.
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