Trend_Catcher
Trend Catcher is a trend-following Expert Advisor that identifies and trades in the direction of established market trends. It uses a combination of moving averages and momentum indicators to detect trend formation and generate entry signals. The EA aims to capture medium-to-long-term trend movements with systematic entry and exit rules.
Open the interactive view (equity curve, symbol switch)Key facts
Backtest results (H1, about 1 year)
| Symbol | P&L | Annual | Max DD | Trades | Win rate | Sharpe | Recovery | Losing streak | Per trade | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EURUSD | -2.64% | -2.29% | 4.22% | 100 | 48.50% | -0.65 | -0.63 | 7 | −$2.32 | Reliable |
| GBPUSD | +2.85% | +2.47% | 5.07% | 98 | 49.00% | 0.56 | 0.56 | 7 | +$2.91 | Reliable |
| USDJPY | +3.63% | +3.14% | 3.80% | 93 | 49.50% | 0.83 | 0.95 | 5 | +$3.90 | Reliable |
| XAUUSD | +25.89% | +20.95% | 61.22% | 91 | 52.20% | 0.66 | 0.42 | 7 | +$31.52 | Reliable |
Profitable on 3 of 4 markets with reliable results.
Converted from MQL5 to Python and run with the same rules for every EA. Positions use MT5 lot sizes (100,000 units per FX lot, 100 oz per gold lot) with 1:100 leverage, one order at a time, and a stop-out below 10% of the starting balance. Sharpe is computed from the equity curve. Results marked as unreliable are shown for completeness only.
Against the other Trend Following EAs with a reliable result on the same market: EURUSD: better than 29% of 95 · GBPUSD: better than 71% of 95 · USDJPY: better than 85% of 95 · XAUUSD: better than 70% of 96
Month by month
| Market | Months with a gain | Best month | Worst month |
|---|---|---|---|
| EURUSD | 46% | +2.05% 2026-04 | -1.65% 2026-10 |
| GBPUSD | 62% | +2.37% 2026-04 | -2.56% 2026-10 |
| USDJPY | 46% | +3.05% 2026-07 | -1.87% 2026-03 |
| XAUUSD | 54% | +45.40% 2026-04 | -30.71% 2026-03 |
From the backtest equity curve, sampled about every two days; only reliable results.
Blow-up risk: No blow-up pattern found
None of the usual blow-up patterns were found in the code, and the account was not stopped out in our backtests. That is not a guarantee: any EA can lose money.
High: stopped out in our backtest, or martingale/grid sizing without a stop loss. Elevated: martingale or grid sizing with a stop loss, or several positions at once without a stop loss. What the label means and what we found →
Strategy analysis
The core strategy concept of Trend Catcher is based on trend following, utilizing moving average crossovers or alignment relationships to determine market trend direction. Entry conditions typically rely on golden cross (fast MA crossing above slow MA) for long positions and death cross for short positions, potentially combined with momentum indicators such as MACD or RSI for confirmation filtering. Exit conditions include trend reversal signals (opposite MA crossover), fixed stop-loss and take-profit levels, or trailing stops to lock in profits. Position sizing may employ fixed lot sizes or account balance-based proportional calculation methods. Money management relies on stop-loss settings as the primary risk control mechanism, though the reasonableness of specific stop-loss distances and risk percentages depends on parameter configuration.
Strengths
- Clear trend-following logic with substantial profit potential during strong trending markets
- Multi-indicator confirmation filtering reduces false signals and overtrading
- Trailing stop feature effectively locks in accumulated profits
- Parameterized design offers flexibility for adaptation to different instruments and timeframes
Weaknesses
- Frequent MA crossovers in ranging markets generate consecutive losing signals
- Trend following is inherently lagging, causing delayed entries and exits
- Fixed lot sizing does not account for account risk ratios, resulting in coarse money management
- Lacks volatility and spread filtering mechanisms, potentially underperforming in high-volatility or high-cost environments
Possible improvements
- Add market regime detection module to pause trading or switch to range strategy during sideways markets
- Implement dynamic position sizing based on ATR or account risk ratio for optimal lot calculation
- Add multi-timeframe confirmation mechanism to improve signal reliability
Risk assessment
Overall risk: Medium
- Consecutive stop-losses in ranging markets may cause significant drawdowns
- Fixed stop-loss and take-profit without dynamic ATR adjustment provides insufficient protection in extreme volatility
- Inherent lagging nature may cause late entries and delayed exits
Evaluation scores
Parameters
| Parameter | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
FastMA_Period | 10 | Fast moving average period |
SlowMA_Period | 50 | Slow moving average period |
MA_Method | MODE_SMA | Moving average calculation method |
StopLoss | 500 | Stop loss in points |
TakeProfit | 1000 | Take profit in points |
LotSize | 0.1 | Trading lot size |
TrailingStop | 300 | Trailing stop in points |
MagicNumber | 12345 | EA magic number |
Similar Trend Following EAs
Backtests are historical simulations and do not guarantee future results. Not financial advice.