Testing 16 Silver Futures Algorithms to 2008 for a Trading Systems Portfolio
- Capstone Trading
- Oct 2
- 1 min read
What happens if we stop cherry-picking and simply run all 16 Silver futures trading systems as one portfolio? The temptation is always to “make it better” by tweaking individual systems or hand-selecting favorites. In this study, we do neither. To minimize hindsight bias—especially around strategies developed after 2009—we include every system: some are brand-new and unproven since mid-2020; others were built as far back as 16 years ago.
Portfolio makeup
16 total systems: 13 day-trade (counter-trend/mean-reversion) and 3 overnight swing (trend-capture).
Trade direction: long and short.
Markets: tradable on Silver (SI) or the Micro Silver (SIL) contract (≈1/5 the size of SI) to help scale exposure and manage drawdown risk.
Why a bundle beats a hero
Any single strategy can go flat or draw down for years. A diversified portfolio spreads regime risk across timeframes (day vs. overnight), behaviors (mean-reversion vs. trend), and directions (long/short), often producing a smoother combined equity path than the best individual system.
What we show
In the accompanying video, you’ll see each strategy’s equity curve and the combined portfolio curve for a side-by-side view of contribution, stagnation periods, and diversification effects.
Tradestation 9.1 was used to get history back to 2008 in 16 different charts. I had trouble doing this in Tradestation 10. We automated in Tradestation 10.
Disclaimer: Futures trading involves substantial risk and is not suitable for all investors. Hypothetical performance has limitations and does not reflect actual trading results.
Silver Portfolio 16
Hypothetical Performance Summary
1/1/2008 - 09/30/2025
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