Any suggestions how to calculate MAE and MFE? More specifically I mean how do I know how much a trade goes against my strategy if I don't have a defined PT? And vice versa. I am trying to calculate MFE and MAE to figure out what SL and PT to use, but if I don't have either one defined how do I know when the trade "ends" so that I can define MFE or MAE? Seems like the trade just continues unless I go off of a set PT or SL to calculate this...
Can you plot them as mathematical functions, either in a spreadsheet or graph? You'll want to automate parts of the calculations, so you can set different rules for PT (?) and SL and see what values you then get for MFE and MAE.
I can plot it in excel, but I still have to plug in how far against me and how far in the direction of the trade price trades. Which I don't know the answer to either because hypothetically it can go an infinite amount in either direction if I don't define either the SL or PT? Am I missing something? Do you know is there somewhere I can see how someone else has plotted as a mathematical function in excel?
Yes, you need to decide on rules for SL and PT. Then you need to vary those rules and see how that makes a difference. Good start! Ie. I doubt you'd really want to let a position go 100% against you or wait an infinite period of time. Unless you're trend trading longer term, you'll maybe benefit from targets (don't use'em myself).
I have "hard" rules for SL, but I would like to get out earlier if I can. I'm trying to test to see the average amount of ticks against my strategy. Seems like I have to just go with an educated guess of a # of ticks against me and see how it turns out? Then try more/less and see it its more favorable?