How can i visually/interpret an equity curve with data provided in my excel spreadsheet. I hate to say it but i don't even know what an equity curve is... #feelingashamed
Google is your friend. There are also tutorial on Excel, specifically how to translate data to a chart.
Let's do it. But in the meantime, you need to look at ways how to limit or exclude the losing trades.
Right now I'm guessing your position size is a percent of current account value. It's a lot easier to understand your backtest results if you use a fixed size, that way you will get a more normalized result. Try it and see how the equity curve looks.
Pretty close, by using options when you are near to taking a lose on the position and keep min of two weeks left on option keeping though just a few days, often times I do this and on overall position come out profitable. But I generally trade using weekly data cause breaking out of last weeks highs/lows, I am expecting a huge push in one direction or the other. Unless I have min of 3000 sample size over twenty years for long term trading, no way would I ever consider it a viable method, anything less showing huge gains are usually a pipedream. Once I get to breakeven stop, testing shows me trailing stops cheats me out of huge gains. I normally take $1-5 a share on half my position, and remainder go to breakeven. I watch the pivot highs to show when market is slowing down as the distance between one pivot high to next is tighter, and only then I start thinking the trade could be over, but still don't use a stop. When fifteen minutes before last trading day of the week is below last weeks low, the trade is exited. Only way I can get the most out with the least amount of time watching the markets. Life is good.