www.candlestickforums.com Back Testing Trading Results There are two means of back testing trading results. One is to look at results and the other is to look at process. Auditing results is obvious. Traders will keep track of all stock trading, commodities trading, options trading, and futures trading. The result will be a list of trades that were profitable and a list of trades that were not. However, aside from knowing where the trader made of lost money, a results audit is not very useful. A process audit will show stock traders, commodities traders, the options trader, and futures traders where the problems lie in back testing trading results. A process audit is when the trader goes back and examines whether he or she is managing trading practices efficiently and effectively. A process audit is not just following a path from trade to trade. It is a critical look at each step in choosing which stock market, options markets, commodities markets, and futures markets to trade, and which equity or derivative contracts to trade. It is a step by step comparison of trading practices versus trading strategy. Back testing trading results by means of a process audit will help the trader perfect his or her use of technical analysis tools such as Candlestick pattern formations in order to increase trading profits. The key features or steps in using a process audit for back testing trading results are as follows: Goal, process, result, review, and improvement. The obvious goal is to make money and reduce investment risk by finding profitable trading opportunities. When the trader has found these opportunities he or she will want to attack the job of trading with a well through out strategy, keep track of results, and modify strategy or execution as needed. Back testing trading results comes down to task definition, objective definition, and a tally of results. What procedures are necessary and in what sequence? What knowledge base is needed and how much practice is necessary? In the end, effective management of trading practices leads to intended results. In the end there can be a fair amount of “homework” involved in successful trading. However, the trader who does his or her “homework” is in good company. Rice traders in ancient Japan developed Candlestick chart analysis and Candlestick trading tactics. This took years of patient observation and recording of trading results. Today’s trader has the advantage of a ready made system for technical analysis of price movement. The job of today’s trader is to learn the process of trading stocks, trading commodities, trading futures or trading options. For example, if he or she is new at trading options a course such as options training with Stephen Bigelow can be an excellent choice.