Is Ballast a martingale or grid EA?

No. It opens one position at a time with a fixed lot, a fixed 114-pip stop and a fixed 100-pip target. There is no averaging down, no grid, no recovery trade and no lot progression of any kind. A second RSI extreme while a position is open is ignored.

On Exness MT5 EUR/GBP history in the MetaTrader 5 strategy tester, on the "every tick based on real ticks" model (Model 4), from 2019-01-01 to 2026-04-01 with 0.1 lot on a $10,000 balance. The tester reported the history quality of that run as 100% real ticks. All 318 closed trades are published on this page and downloadable as CSV, alongside the out-of-sample trades measured after the cutoff.

Does the backtest include swap?

Yes, and it matters here. The gross result of the run was 3,905.58 before carry; swap subtracted 969.99 of that, and the published net of 2,935.59 is the figure after it. Roughly a quarter of the gross profit went to carry because the median position is held for several days and the longest was held for about two months. Commission was zero in this run, so a broker charging per-lot commission will subtract more.

Why is the win rate so high?

Because the stop is wider than the target. Winning more than three trades in four is what a 114-pip stop against a 100-pip target produces — it is a description of the shape, not evidence of an edge. The average win was 45.47 and the average loss 118.70, so it takes several wins to pay for one loss.

Why does it trade so rarely?

Both an RSI extreme and a free position slot are needed, and EUR/GBP reaches those extremes only a few times a month. Across the measured record it averaged under four trades a month, and the recent years are thinner than the early ones — a real change in the pair's behaviour, not a setting you can turn up.

What is in the verification window?

The published backtest runs to 2026-04-01, which is also the cutoff. Everything past that date was measured in a separate run and is kept apart from the backtest figures — 9 closed trades so far, which this page reports on their own rather than folding them into the backtest's numbers. A window that thin is a sample, not a verdict; the EA averages under four trades a month.

Does it trade at particular hours?

No. There is no time, session or day filter. Any closed H1 bar whose RSI is past the threshold can open a trade, provided no position is already open.

Ballast — Mean Reversion EA for EUR/GBP

Verified Performance Record

The complete record — the published backtest and everything since.

v1.0
Settings Locked
Out-of-Sample

Tracking Active

Backtest (2019–Apr 1, 2026) Forward tracking (Apr 1, 2026–)

Normalized growth, rebased to 100% at the start of the backtest. Everything after Apr 1, 2026 is out-of-sample.

Performance since the strategy lock date, rebased to 0% on Apr 1, 2026.

Full Record

Published backtest plus everything measured since the lock — one continuous record.

Total Return: +31.6%
Max Balance Drawdown: 8.3%
Closed Trades: 327
Profit Factor: 1.38

Jan 1, 2019 – Aug 12, 2026

Since Strategy Lock

Only the days after the strategy was locked. Never merged into the figures on the left.

Forward Return: +1.7%
Forward Balance Drawdown: 0.5%
Forward Trades: 9
Tracking Period: 133 days

Apr 1, 2026 – Aug 12, 2026

Trade History

All 327 closed positions in the record, newest first. Every position is 0.1 lots.

256 Wins71 Losses

Average win: +$44.97
Average loss: -$117.67
Best trade: +$310.64
Worst trade: -$439.63

Closed	Side	Symbol	Entry	Exit	Duration	P/L
Aug 12, 2026 23:59	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85650	0.85406	6d	-$39.26
Jul 30, 2026 21:04	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85505	0.85512	29d	-$24.17
Jul 2, 2026 08:11	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.86499	0.85493	6d	+$134.32
Jun 26, 2026 12:36	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.86690	0.86373	8d	+$41.86
Jun 17, 2026 07:03	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.86564	0.86551	21d	+$1.74
May 26, 2026 20:59	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.87078	0.86525	12d	+$74.35
May 14, 2026 16:22	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.86900	0.86828	2d	+$9.68
May 11, 2026 15:00	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.86347	0.86349	11d	-$7.92
Apr 23, 2026 21:04	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.87184	0.86947	7d	+$31.89
Mar 31, 2026 23:57	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.87350	0.87394	9h	-$5.83
Mar 25, 2026 05:55	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.86672	0.86657	5d	+$2.01
Mar 20, 2026 13:10	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.86519	0.86459	7d	+$8.02
Mar 11, 2026 19:37	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.87241	0.86240	22d	+$134.29
Feb 16, 2026 22:05	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.86854	0.86865	5d	-$3.06
Feb 10, 2026 21:13	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.87224	0.87202	2d	+$3.00
Feb 6, 2026 07:27	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.86612	0.86868	9d	+$24.63
Jan 28, 2026 04:00	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.86735	0.83569	5d	-$439.63
Jan 21, 2026 16:11	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.86831	0.87105	16d	+$22.40
Dec 31, 2025 10:35	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.87684	0.87371	20d	+$42.05
Dec 11, 2025 09:32	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.87902	0.87555	10d	+$46.35
Dec 1, 2025 07:55	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.87803	0.87804	34d	-$0.13
Oct 28, 2025 13:41	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.86629	0.87769	60d	-$151.12
Aug 27, 2025 00:25	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.86816	0.89242	20d	+$310.64
Aug 7, 2025 11:00	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.86974	0.87089	10d	+$4.74
Jul 28, 2025 07:31	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.86563	0.87200	5d	+$80.93
Jul 16, 2025 15:17	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.86879	0.86831	2d	+$6.45
Jul 14, 2025 15:06	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.85782	0.86922	14d	-$153.18
Jun 27, 2025 12:54	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.85538	0.85424	10d	+$15.67
Jun 12, 2025 17:18	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.84499	0.85117	32d	+$54.23
May 8, 2025 02:30	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.84834	0.84878	2d	+$2.31
May 2, 2025 07:39	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.85332	0.85142	2d	+$25.27
Apr 17, 2025 12:15	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85655	0.85823	2d	+$18.68
Apr 11, 2025 12:57	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.86883	0.86888	12h	-$0.66
Apr 8, 2025 17:12	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.85865	0.85638	1d	+$29.02
Apr 7, 2025 12:06	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.84431	0.85571	4d	-$146.08
Apr 3, 2025 10:26	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.83818	0.84057	15d	+$16.73
Mar 14, 2025 10:24	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.84428	0.84077	3d	+$45.40
Mar 6, 2025 17:42	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.83222	0.83757	27d	+$46.15
Feb 6, 2025 16:10	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.83300	0.83437	4d	+$12.85
Feb 2, 2025 22:01	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.84362	0.83304	19d	+$130.02
Jan 14, 2025 13:28	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.83227	0.84371	6d	-$138.95
Jan 6, 2025 11:22	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.83140	0.83105	4d	+$4.38
Dec 30, 2024 22:05	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.83165	0.83132	4d	+$4.14
Dec 20, 2024 14:48	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.82667	0.82781	3d	+$10.08
Dec 16, 2024 11:26	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.82411	0.82934	6d	+$61.02
Dec 10, 2024 16:07	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.83571	0.82431	35d	-$174.16
Nov 4, 2024 08:58	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.84437	0.84043	4d	+$51.07
Oct 31, 2024 15:05	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.83350	0.84350	14d	+$116.50
Oct 16, 2024 21:04	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.83366	0.83396	2d	+$3.02
Oct 8, 2024 21:04	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.83629	0.83695	4d	+$6.89
Oct 3, 2024 15:08	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.83582	0.84001	10d	+$44.21
Sep 20, 2024 06:00	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85025	0.83885	29d	-$177.27
Aug 20, 2024 21:04	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.85609	0.85427	16d	+$23.72
Aug 5, 2024 05:59	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.84588	0.85588	31d	+$102.49
Jul 2, 2024 21:04	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.84629	0.84613	23d	-$20.75
Jun 9, 2024 21:05	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85674	0.84534	23d	-$163.89
May 13, 2024 21:05	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85726	0.85851	19d	+$2.27
Apr 23, 2024 11:27	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85570	0.86105	26d	+$46.13
Mar 24, 2024 21:05	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85504	0.85644	61d	-$35.05
Jan 18, 2024 17:05	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.86598	0.85598	29d	+$126.78
Dec 19, 2023 22:04	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.86443	0.86348	1d	+$12.09
Dec 14, 2023 12:19	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85766	0.85994	13d	+$18.03
Dec 1, 2023 15:47	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.86802	0.85802	45d	+$126.30
Sep 28, 2023 21:04	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.87041	0.86754	2d	+$35.00
Sep 22, 2023 12:46	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.85841	0.86982	15d	-$139.76
Sep 6, 2023 10:54	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.85739	0.85586	1d	+$19.20
Aug 30, 2023 21:04	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85501	0.85752	14d	+$20.03
Aug 16, 2023 14:27	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.86567	0.85567	6d	+$127.58
Aug 9, 2023 09:48	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.86411	0.86240	5d	+$21.77
Aug 3, 2023 14:08	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.86031	0.86202	9d	+$12.23
Jul 21, 2023 11:57	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.86843	0.86689	2d	+$19.76
Jul 19, 2023 08:52	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85818	0.86818	19d	+$114.64
Jun 29, 2023 04:56	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.86027	0.86233	29d	-$0.19
May 31, 2023 14:56	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.87175	0.86035	26d	-$161.38
May 5, 2023 15:47	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.88158	0.87158	3d	+$126.50
May 1, 2023 11:58	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.88041	0.87947	19d	+$11.77
Apr 4, 2023 14:41	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.87812	0.87636	14d	+$22.01
Mar 16, 2023 12:43	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.87400	0.87843	24h	+$50.98
Mar 15, 2023 12:14	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.88739	0.87587	6d	-$142.24
Mar 9, 2023 08:36	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.88296	0.88898	6d	+$66.68
Mar 1, 2023 22:05	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.88180	0.88570	9d	+$40.45
Feb 17, 2023 07:56	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.88147	0.89148	3d	+$115.39
Feb 13, 2023 12:16	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.88311	0.88396	3d	+$9.46
Feb 10, 2023 07:17	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.89092	0.88729	8d	+$43.90
Feb 2, 2023 09:26	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.87893	0.89033	10d	-$140.73
Jan 19, 2023 13:44	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.87416	0.87516	1d	+$9.87
Jan 18, 2023 08:07	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.88570	0.87972	7d	+$73.68
Jan 9, 2023 10:40	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.88524	0.88036	4d	+$59.16
Jan 4, 2023 08:18	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.87901	0.87900	17h	-$0.92
Dec 28, 2022 16:11	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.88417	0.88282	1d	+$16.23
Dec 22, 2022 11:37	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.86966	0.88106	7d	-$137.54
Dec 12, 2022 17:14	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85738	0.85821	3d	+$9.37
Dec 5, 2022 22:04	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85941	0.85979	5d	+$2.99
Nov 28, 2022 15:38	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.86311	0.86400	5d	+$6.67
Nov 11, 2022 19:10	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.87200	0.87429	1d	+$26.35
Nov 10, 2022 13:49	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.88142	0.87142	22h	+$116.34
Nov 8, 2022 10:56	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.87248	0.87248	5d	+$0.00
Nov 3, 2022 12:00	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.86337	0.86443	7d	+$6.55
Oct 27, 2022 12:23	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.86533	0.86532	1d	-$2.46
Oct 21, 2022 16:18	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.87644	0.87582	7h	+$6.96
Oct 14, 2022 14:58	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.86528	0.86804	1d	+$30.26
Oct 6, 2022 14:47	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.87829	0.87815	4h	+$1.57
Oct 4, 2022 16:11	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.86796	0.87098	21h	+$33.86
Sep 30, 2022 05:17	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.88081	0.88154	6h	+$7.37
Sep 26, 2022 06:11	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.91362	0.91050	4h	+$33.01
Sep 26, 2022 01:02	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.91984	0.90975	1h	+$106.13
Sep 26, 2022 00:49	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.89046	0.90194	2d	-$122.95
Sep 23, 2022 13:42	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.88418	0.88384	3h	+$3.75
Sep 22, 2022 05:18	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.87499	0.87453	6d	+$5.17
Sep 16, 2022 06:15	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.86374	0.87374	2d	+$111.18
Sep 8, 2022 12:51	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.86967	0.86897	3h	+$8.07
Sep 8, 2022 09:18	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.85874	0.87014	9d	-$131.01
Aug 30, 2022 14:08	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.84646	0.85790	4d	-$133.51
Aug 24, 2022 14:51	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.84933	0.84434	5d	+$58.93
Aug 18, 2022 09:55	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.84262	0.84311	3d	+$1.87
Jul 29, 2022 14:56	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.83473	0.83800	1d	+$38.95
Jul 28, 2022 11:58	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.84601	0.83461	2d	-$141.43
Jul 20, 2022 10:41	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.84976	0.85056	13d	+$0.79
Jul 5, 2022 14:16	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85583	0.85752	5h	+$20.22
Jul 5, 2022 08:40	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.86641	0.85641	4d	+$120.58
Jul 1, 2022 09:54	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85661	0.86661	20h	+$119.91
Jun 17, 2022 08:29	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85327	0.85378	19h	+$5.44
Jun 16, 2022 11:28	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85532	0.85988	1h	+$55.24
Jun 16, 2022 07:01	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.86193	0.86002	2d	+$23.13
Jun 14, 2022 07:01	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.85885	0.85866	19h	+$2.31
Jun 10, 2022 07:39	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.85598	0.85200	2d	+$49.69
Jun 8, 2022 08:17	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.85742	0.85263	1d	+$60.06
Jun 7, 2022 05:25	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.85800	0.85597	1d	+$25.32
May 26, 2022 13:45	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.85726	0.85205	2d	+$65.52
May 18, 2022 14:35	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.84440	0.84591	1d	+$17.89
May 16, 2022 06:47	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.85095	0.85059	11d	+$4.40
May 5, 2022 11:09	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.83727	0.84868	13d	-$142.36
Apr 21, 2022 13:34	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.83031	0.83324	8d	+$29.51
Apr 11, 2022 15:51	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.83347	0.83454	6d	+$8.68
Apr 5, 2022 13:52	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.84462	0.83322	5d	-$152.73
Mar 31, 2022 03:20	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.83982	0.85122	2d	-$149.57
Mar 23, 2022 08:40	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.83683	0.83304	14d	+$50.14
Mar 8, 2022 10:06	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.82881	0.82901	5d	-$0.04
Mar 2, 2022 17:25	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.84125	0.82985	20d	-$168.57
Feb 9, 2022 17:08	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.84478	0.84476	5d	+$0.27
Feb 4, 2022 09:57	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.83471	0.84471	9d	+$125.75
Jan 25, 2022 06:51	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.83306	0.83876	6d	+$70.48
Jan 11, 2022 09:48	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.84421	0.83281	19d	-$170.49
Dec 23, 2021 10:26	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.85408	0.84408	3d	+$134.17
Dec 17, 2021 18:38	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.84848	0.84928	1d	+$9.71
Dec 16, 2021 12:51	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.85030	0.84878	16d	+$20.31
Nov 28, 2021 23:10	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.84445	0.84605	13d	+$9.67
Nov 16, 2021 08:33	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.85479	0.84479	12d	+$134.61
Nov 3, 2021 12:15	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.84468	0.84791	19d	+$28.48
Oct 14, 2021 10:10	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85715	0.84575	13d	-$168.29
Oct 1, 2021 06:20	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.86241	0.86117	3d	+$16.67
Sep 28, 2021 14:02	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85313	0.86313	1d	+$134.38
Sep 27, 2021 08:12	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85399	0.85422	4d	+$1.31
Sep 22, 2021 21:07	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85171	0.85763	7d	+$76.95
Sep 14, 2021 18:22	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.86089	0.85454	7d	+$87.83
Sep 7, 2021 10:53	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.84967	0.86107	26d	-$157.21
Aug 10, 2021 14:21	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.85541	0.84541	8d	+$138.56
Jul 23, 2021 13:18	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85450	0.85501	20h	+$6.10
Jul 22, 2021 13:16	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.86350	0.85849	3d	+$69.04
Jul 15, 2021 10:03	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85256	0.85336	2d	+$7.38
Jul 9, 2021 11:17	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85534	0.85830	3d	+$36.30
Jun 28, 2021 06:58	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85577	0.85704	7d	+$11.15
Jun 18, 2021 06:35	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.86128	0.85768	3d	+$49.97
Jun 10, 2021 13:15	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85958	0.86076	7d	+$10.05
Jun 2, 2021 09:44	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85988	0.86106	6d	+$12.88
May 26, 2021 10:31	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.86017	0.86367	5d	+$46.73
May 12, 2021 09:01	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.86783	0.85782	6d	+$141.58
May 6, 2021 11:04	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.86285	0.86541	1d	+$32.82
May 4, 2021 12:32	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.86987	0.86817	12d	+$23.54
Apr 22, 2021 12:48	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85951	0.86951	3d	+$133.94
Apr 19, 2021 11:58	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.86340	0.86373	7h	+$4.60
Apr 9, 2021 06:44	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.85810	0.86950	3d	-$155.88
Apr 6, 2021 17:25	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.84862	0.85862	1d	+$137.17
Mar 31, 2021 08:59	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85204	0.85219	2d	+$0.23
Mar 29, 2021 08:27	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.86176	0.85176	7d	+$138.16
Mar 19, 2021 09:18	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85376	0.85387	22h	+$0.60
Mar 18, 2021 06:27	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85446	0.85707	22h	+$33.64
Mar 16, 2021 12:37	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85837	0.86045	8d	+$21.37
Mar 5, 2021 14:00	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.86114	0.86174	23h	+$7.37
Feb 26, 2021 15:07	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.87087	0.87061	10h	+$3.62
Feb 26, 2021 00:31	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.86020	0.87020	2d	+$135.73
Feb 22, 2021 01:24	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.87500	0.86360	9d	-$167.66
Feb 10, 2021 08:49	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.87600	0.87622	6d	-$0.64
Feb 2, 2021 19:59	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.87981	0.88027	8h	+$6.28
Jan 28, 2021 14:41	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.88488	0.88489	2d	-$3.53
Jan 25, 2021 02:55	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.88584	0.88841	5d	+$30.62
Jan 20, 2021 09:06	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.89656	0.88516	8d	-$163.46
Jan 11, 2021 16:52	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.90010	0.90024	3d	+$0.98
Jan 6, 2021 16:10	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.90244	0.90501	7d	+$28.44
Dec 29, 2020 09:13	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.90253	0.90564	6d	+$36.58
Dec 21, 2020 20:13	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.91328	0.91043	17h	+$38.33
Dec 21, 2020 01:49	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.90318	0.91318	5d	+$128.24
Dec 15, 2020 09:28	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.90478	0.91478	22h	+$132.02
Dec 14, 2020 01:04	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.91208	0.91183	4d	+$3.32
Dec 9, 2020 22:44	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.90111	0.90256	12h	+$19.38
Dec 7, 2020 18:33	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.91292	0.91077	10h	+$28.62
Dec 3, 2020 18:50	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.90684	0.90336	1d	+$46.75
Dec 2, 2020 13:37	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.89518	0.90658	5d	-$151.84
Nov 25, 2020 12:47	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.88802	0.89042	2d	+$30.27
Nov 19, 2020 03:14	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.89781	0.89500	7d	+$37.19
Nov 11, 2020 11:53	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.89761	0.88618	2d	-$153.52
Oct 30, 2020 16:18	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.89958	0.89962	5h	+$0.52
Oct 28, 2020 14:00	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.90173	0.90404	7h	+$29.98
Oct 25, 2020 22:32	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.90445	0.90722	4d	+$31.77
Oct 21, 2020 13:56	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.91349	0.90348	1d	+$131.39
Oct 15, 2020 13:51	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.90170	0.90384	23h	+$25.08
Oct 14, 2020 09:00	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.90546	0.90865	2d	+$39.46
Oct 8, 2020 13:16	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.90795	0.90876	4h	+$10.46
Oct 6, 2020 19:30	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.91178	0.91175	7h	+$0.39
Oct 1, 2020 11:13	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.90718	0.91207	20h	+$60.41
Sep 29, 2020 14:28	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.90888	0.91047	1d	+$19.64
Sep 25, 2020 11:44	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.91297	0.91340	1d	+$4.63
Sep 17, 2020 10:07	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.90853	0.90879	3h	+$3.38
Sep 17, 2020 06:05	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.91924	0.90924	7d	+$129.43
Sep 10, 2020 13:29	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.90694	0.91834	2d	-$147.78
Sep 8, 2020 17:22	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.89599	0.90599	13d	+$118.59
Aug 25, 2020 02:01	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.89821	0.90093	4d	+$33.00
Aug 18, 2020 06:58	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.90118	0.90357	4d	+$29.68
Aug 14, 2020 09:33	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.90024	0.90179	4d	+$15.01
Aug 10, 2020 07:21	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.89985	0.90070	4d	+$9.35
Aug 6, 2020 06:46	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.90097	0.90236	6d	+$13.02
Jul 31, 2020 09:02	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.90252	0.90287	22h	+$3.71
Jul 29, 2020 14:47	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.91037	0.90703	7d	+$43.35
Jul 21, 2020 11:15	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.91040	0.90040	4d	+$127.01
Jul 14, 2020 17:49	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.90195	0.90777	7d	+$67.17
Jul 7, 2020 08:23	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.90318	0.90329	6d	-$3.66
Jul 1, 2020 10:20	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.91261	0.90260	2d	+$124.30
Jun 29, 2020 08:34	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.90029	0.91170	11d	-$140.78
Jun 17, 2020 09:13	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.89226	0.89550	20h	+$39.84
Jun 11, 2020 17:40	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.89156	0.89801	6d	+$76.17
Jun 5, 2020 07:19	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.89225	0.89725	4d	+$58.27
May 29, 2020 15:04	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.90416	0.90150	6h	+$32.81
May 29, 2020 07:25	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.89103	0.90104	3d	+$119.29
May 22, 2020 20:58	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.89826	0.89655	2d	+$20.80
May 18, 2020 15:45	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.89517	0.89292	18h	+$27.46
May 17, 2020 21:12	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.88339	0.89484	5d	-$138.43
May 12, 2020 08:39	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.87975	0.87856	21h	+$14.66
May 5, 2020 13:48	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.87463	0.87253	4d	+$26.20
Apr 29, 2020 20:36	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.86932	0.87206	2d	+$33.34
Apr 24, 2020 18:27	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.87232	0.87338	1d	+$12.27
Apr 23, 2020 08:50	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.88365	0.87363	2d	+$123.77
Apr 21, 2020 18:03	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.87805	0.88286	13d	+$48.21
Apr 3, 2020 11:47	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.87527	0.87733	14h	+$24.51
Apr 1, 2020 21:18	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.87975	0.88310	7h	+$41.49
Mar 31, 2020 15:08	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.88297	0.88321	1h	+$2.99
Mar 30, 2020 00:08	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.89266	0.89277	2d	+$0.54
Mar 26, 2020 23:56	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.90458	0.90566	3h	+$13.17
Mar 25, 2020 13:54	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.90871	0.91871	5h	+$117.56
Mar 20, 2020 15:49	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.90273	0.91283	1h	+$118.70
Mar 20, 2020 09:34	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.90902	0.91170	1h	+$31.63
Mar 19, 2020 03:00	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.94910	0.94831	1h	+$9.06
Mar 19, 2020 01:25	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.93823	0.94963	6h	-$130.91
Mar 18, 2020 17:04	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.93601	0.93576	1h	+$2.89
Mar 18, 2020 16:52	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.92280	0.93421	4h	-$132.10
Mar 16, 2020 12:52	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.91188	0.90950	3h	+$29.23
Mar 12, 2020 15:23	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.89023	0.88550	1h	+$59.48
Mar 6, 2020 15:24	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.86387	0.86833	1d	+$57.28
Mar 4, 2020 15:58	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.86979	0.86943	2d	+$4.61
Mar 2, 2020 08:07	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.85479	0.86619	3d	-$145.81
Feb 28, 2020 07:26	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.84329	0.85469	2d	-$146.71
Feb 26, 2020 13:47	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.83507	0.83986	1d	+$61.09
Feb 20, 2020 16:26	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.83366	0.83805	7d	+$50.44
Feb 13, 2020 12:37	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.84449	0.83307	3d	-$153.24
Feb 5, 2020 13:47	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.85031	0.84686	2d	+$44.85
Feb 3, 2020 17:17	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.84180	0.85180	4d	+$128.15
Jan 30, 2020 11:59	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.84477	0.84510	8d	-$4.47
Jan 22, 2020 12:08	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.85489	0.84488	2d	+$131.27
Jan 17, 2020 09:36	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.85550	0.85224	4d	+$42.56
Jan 10, 2020 16:04	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.85286	0.85142	1d	+$18.79
Jan 8, 2020 14:01	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.84577	0.84697	5h	+$15.76
Jan 6, 2020 09:35	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.84755	0.85100	6d	+$40.01
Dec 27, 2019 01:55	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.85729	0.85656	3d	+$9.47
Dec 19, 2019 16:14	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.84371	0.85511	2d	-$148.19
Dec 13, 2019 15:04	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.83123	0.83531	16h	+$53.63
Dec 12, 2019 14:40	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.84349	0.84554	7d	+$20.83
Dec 5, 2019 07:15	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85504	0.84362	10d	-$160.48
Nov 24, 2019 22:00	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85473	0.85683	3d	+$25.27
Nov 21, 2019 13:49	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85415	0.85484	3d	+$4.61
Nov 12, 2019 15:42	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85706	0.85709	1d	-$0.47
Nov 7, 2019 14:46	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85993	0.86232	2d	+$27.22
Nov 5, 2019 11:55	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.86040	0.86121	5d	+$7.86
Oct 15, 2019 16:54	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.86369	0.86439	2h	+$8.92
Oct 15, 2019 14:27	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.87875	0.86732	4d	-$146.62
Oct 11, 2019 10:30	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.88978	0.87838	19h	-$143.92
Oct 9, 2019 08:50	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.89728	0.89728	23h	+$0.00
Oct 4, 2019 16:44	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.88571	0.89025	1d	+$55.18
Oct 1, 2019 16:23	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.89175	0.88996	2h	+$22.00
Sep 26, 2019 10:43	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.88058	0.88521	2d	+$53.81
Sep 20, 2019 14:50	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.87919	0.88108	7h	+$23.61
Sep 20, 2019 06:04	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.89108	0.87967	7d	-$149.25
Sep 12, 2019 12:01	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.90074	0.88934	8d	-$148.78
Sep 3, 2019 10:49	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.91261	0.90869	4h	+$47.19
Sep 3, 2019 01:41	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.90323	0.90746	3d	+$49.34
Aug 29, 2019 01:50	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.90940	0.90811	16h	+$15.75
Aug 28, 2019 09:05	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.90342	0.90886	19h	+$65.54
Aug 27, 2019 07:38	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.90593	0.90745	5d	+$16.15
Aug 22, 2019 13:04	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.91658	0.90517	7d	-$145.42
Aug 15, 2019 13:49	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.92661	0.91660	6d	+$121.40
Aug 6, 2019 14:53	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.92468	0.91902	15h	+$68.88
Jul 31, 2019 21:08	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.91528	0.91239	2d	+$35.10
Jul 30, 2019 01:33	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.90372	0.91512	14h	-$138.70
Jul 29, 2019 11:08	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.89359	0.90359	5d	+$118.87
Jul 22, 2019 07:55	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.90366	0.89919	6d	+$55.77
Jul 16, 2019 10:52	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.89261	0.90401	25d	-$141.49
Jun 20, 2019 11:01	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.89396	0.89075	3d	+$40.75
Jun 17, 2019 14:20	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.88212	0.89352	26d	-$143.41
May 22, 2019 11:16	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.87130	0.88275	7d	-$144.83
May 15, 2019 12:34	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.85845	0.86987	7d	-$146.97
May 6, 2019 03:17	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.85893	0.85263	31d	+$82.68
Apr 2, 2019 14:50	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85395	0.85727	24h	+$42.45
Mar 29, 2019 15:28	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85966	0.86141	7d	+$16.62
Mar 21, 2019 15:14	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.85813	0.86956	1d	-$149.44
Mar 19, 2019 14:21	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.85784	0.85685	1d	+$13.11
Mar 14, 2019 08:07	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.84949	0.85156	11h	+$24.87
Mar 12, 2019 11:23	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85527	0.86527	17h	+$129.19
Mar 11, 2019 17:41	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.86396	0.85394	3d	+$131.87
Mar 8, 2019 15:48	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85507	0.85932	22h	+$54.66
Mar 3, 2019 22:01	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.85788	0.85873	5d	+$5.92
Feb 26, 2019 15:57	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.86981	0.85841	7d	-$156.89
Feb 19, 2019 15:03	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.88107	0.87107	5d	+$129.94
Feb 13, 2019 11:56	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.87367	0.87577	6d	+$23.68
Feb 7, 2019 12:01	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.88155	0.88078	2d	+$9.90
Feb 4, 2019 17:09	Sell	EUR/GBP	0.87892	0.87608	3d	+$37.08
Jan 29, 2019 12:55	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.86486	0.86761	5d	+$33.58
Jan 24, 2019 20:18	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.87658	0.86518	2d	-$152.43
Jan 21, 2019 12:18	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.87999	0.88279	4d	+$34.31
Jan 16, 2019 22:04	Buy	EUR/GBP	0.89514	0.88355	5d	-$152.02

Monthly Returns

Calculated from market data released after the strategy lock date.

Year by Year

Jan 1, 2019 – Aug 12, 2026

Year	Trades	Net P/L	Win rate
2026	18	-$31.68	67%
2025	24	+$301.75	75%
2024	18	+$27.20	72%
2023	29	+$571.26	79%
2022	54	+$34.25	76%
2021	46	+$1106.27	85%
2020	82	+$1801.33	85%
2019	56	-$652.30	68%

Drawdown

Calculated from market data released after the strategy lock date.(-0.5%)

Recent Trades

Apr 1, 2026 – Aug 12, 2026

Closed	Side	Duration	Pips	P/L
Aug 12, 2026	Buy	6d	-24.4	-$39.26
Jul 30, 2026	Buy	29d	0.7	-$24.17
Jul 2, 2026	Sell	6d	100.6	+$134.32
Jun 26, 2026	Sell	8d	31.7	+$41.86
Jun 17, 2026	Sell	21d	1.3	+$1.74

View all 9 trades

Closed	Side	Duration	Pips	P/L
May 26, 2026	Sell	12d	55.3	+$74.35
May 14, 2026	Sell	2d	7.2	+$9.68
May 11, 2026	Buy	11d	0.2	-$7.92
Apr 23, 2026	Sell	7d	23.7	+$31.89

Verification

Strategy Version: v1.0
Locked date: Apr 1, 2026
Test period: Jan 1, 2019 – Apr 1, 2026
Forward period: Apr 1, 2026 – Aug 12, 2026
Symbol: EUR/GBP
Timeframe: H1
Broker data source: Exness MT5 M1 history (EURGBP_DUKA), in the MetaTrader 5 strategy tester, every tick based on real ticks (Model 4), 0.1 lot on a $10,000 balance
Modelling method: Daily out-of-sample re-run
Starting balance: $10,000
Position sizing: 0.1 lot per $10,000
Data through: Aug 12, 2026
File checksum: 210c6728a6b2cc8b292db090901676f51cbcc858959fa88ace32567d1c897425

Download full history (CSV, backtest)Download full tracking history (CSV)

Strategy logic

How Ballast Trades

A mean-reversion EA that fades RSI(12) extremes on the EUR/GBP hourly chart — long below 27, short above 75 — holding one position at a time behind a 114-pip stop, and closing most winners with a 34-pip trailing stop rather than the 100-pip target.

01 Market

When it trades

EUR/GBP, One Hour, No Time Filter

There is no session, day or news filter. EUR/GBP is the point: it is the slowest of the majors, and the strategy needs a pair that overshoots and comes back rather than one that trends away.

02 Setup

What it looks for

RSI(12) At An Extreme

The EA reads RSI(12) on the previous closed H1 bar. Below 27 it is looking to buy, above 75 it is looking to sell. Because only closed bars are read, the signal cannot repaint.

The two thresholds are not symmetric — the short side is asked for a slightly deeper extreme than the long side.

03 Entry

How it enters

One Position, Either Direction

A single market order is sent on the next bar, at most once per closed bar. If a position is already open, a new extreme is ignored entirely — the EA does not add to it, hedge it or average down.

04 Risk

How it protects

A 114-Pip Stop Behind Every Order

The stop-loss is attached when the order is sent and is never widened. It is deliberately deeper than the target so that an early, wrong-side reading has room to revert before it is cut.

05 Exit

How it exits

Trailed Out, Not Taken Out

Once a trade is more than 34 pips ahead, the stop follows 34 pips behind price. In the published backtest that trailing stop, not the 100-pip target, closed the large majority of the winning trades.

Risk architecture

Position limit: One position
Position sizing: Fixed lot
Recovery method: None; No martingale, no grid, no averaging down.
Protective exit: Fixed stop-loss with a trailing stop

Market behavior

Performs best in

Range-bound EUR/GBP, where an hourly overshoot is followed by a pullback the trailing stop can bank

Can struggle in

Sustained trends, where an oversold reading keeps getting more oversold and the wide stop is reached in full
Quiet years — the measured record thins out markedly after 2021, with a handful of trades in some recent years against dozens in the early ones
Long holds against an adverse swap: the median position is held for days and carry is subtracted from the published result

Published parameter values and what each one controls
Parameter	Published value	What it controls
Magic number — User-adjustableMagicNumber	340160	Order tagging
Max slippage — User-adjustableSlippage	3	Order fill tolerance
One entry per bar — Locked for trackingOncePerBar	true	Entry frequency
RSI period — Locked for trackingRSI_Period_n2	12	The only indicator in the build
RSI applied price — Locked for trackingRSI_Price_n2	0	Which price the RSI reads
Lot size — User-adjustableLotSize	0.1	Position size per trade
Buy stop loss — Locked for trackingSL_Pips_n7	114	Maximum loss per long trade
Buy take profit — Locked for trackingTP_Pips_n7	100	Target per long trade
Sell stop loss — Locked for trackingSL_Pips_n8	114	Maximum loss per short trade
Sell take profit — Locked for trackingTP_Pips_n8	100	Target per short trade
Max positions — Locked for trackingMaxPositions_n5	1	Concurrent position cap
Trailing stop — Locked for trackingTrailPips_trail1	34	Distance the stop follows at

Locked for trackingUser-adjustableSelect “View full inputs” below for every parameter’s range and full description.

Download .setVersion — updated Aug 16, 2026

Platform, account and broker requirements
Requirement	Specification
Platform	MetaTrader 5
Chart	EUR/GBP · H1
Suggested starting capital	$10,000 — the balance this published record was measured on
Recommended sizing	0.1 lot per $10,000
Deepest measured equity drawdown	8.8% of $10,000 — about $878
Leverage	1:100 or higher

Test environment

Exness MT5 M1 history (EURGBP_DUKA), in the MetaTrader 5 strategy tester, every tick based on real ticks (Model 4), history quality reported by the tester as 100%, 0.1 lot on a $10,000 balance
Swap is taken from the broker's history per leg and is already subtracted from every figure on this page; the per-deal values are in the published trade ledger. Commission was zero in this run.
Jan 1, 2019 – Apr 1, 2026 · 318 closed trades
0.1 lot per $10,000

Important notes

The EA refuses to start on any timeframe other than H1 — it checks the chart period in OnInit and stops with a message. This is deliberate: the record was measured on H1 and another period silently becomes a different strategy.
There is no spread guard in this build. A broker with a materially wider EUR/GBP spread than the tested history will erode the result rather than skip the trade.

Installation guide Broker setup Licence & terms

01

Step 01 — Download the files

Get the EA file and the published preset used for testing and forward tracking.
- .ex5
- .set
- .pdf
- Preset included
Your account
- ex5 EA file
- set Preset
- pdf Manual
02

Step 02 — Attach it to the correct chart

Open EUR/GBP on H1 in MetaTrader 5, then attach Ballast to a single chart.
- EUR/GBP
- H1
- One chart only
EUR/GBP · H1

Ballast Running
03

Step 03 — Load the published settings

Import the preset and keep the tracked configuration unchanged.
- Load .set
- WebRequest
Inputs
- Magic number 340160
- Max slippage 3
- One entry per bar true

Before you run

MetaTrader 5 installed
EUR/GBP available in Market Watch
H1 chart selected
Algo Trading enabled
https://mt5depot.com allowed for WebRequest
Published defaults preserved

Matching these conditions helps reproduce the published record.

Included files

EA file ballast.ex5 The compiled, licensed Expert Advisor.
Preset ballast.set The shipped input values — load it in the Inputs tab before running.
Manual mt5depot-ea-manual-en.pdf Installation instructions, the same document for every EA.

Use the preset first before making any custom changes.

Published configuration Download files Broker time setup

Order execution: The strategy tester fills at the requested price: slippage, requotes and rejected orders are not simulated. Execution on a live account will move the result.
Tester report: Open the original report — the file MetaTrader 5 wrote at the end of the run (English only)

The shipped build only checks that the trading account is linked to mt5depot as an IB account. Any of these brokers works:

Is Ballast a martingale or grid EA?: No. It opens one position at a time with a fixed lot, a fixed 114-pip stop and a fixed 100-pip target. There is no averaging down, no grid, no recovery trade and no lot progression of any kind. A second RSI extreme while a position is open is ignored.
How was it tested?: On Exness MT5 EUR/GBP history in the MetaTrader 5 strategy tester, on the "every tick based on real ticks" model (Model 4), from 2019-01-01 to 2026-04-01 with 0.1 lot on a $10,000 balance. The tester reported the history quality of that run as 100% real ticks. All 318 closed trades are published on this page and downloadable as CSV, alongside the out-of-sample trades measured after the cutoff.
Does the backtest include swap?: Yes, and it matters here. The gross result of the run was 3,905.58 before carry; swap subtracted 969.99 of that, and the published net of 2,935.59 is the figure after it. Roughly a quarter of the gross profit went to carry because the median position is held for several days and the longest was held for about two months. Commission was zero in this run, so a broker charging per-lot commission will subtract more.
Why is the win rate so high?: Because the stop is wider than the target. Winning more than three trades in four is what a 114-pip stop against a 100-pip target produces — it is a description of the shape, not evidence of an edge. The average win was 45.47 and the average loss 118.70, so it takes several wins to pay for one loss.
Why does it trade so rarely?: Both an RSI extreme and a free position slot are needed, and EUR/GBP reaches those extremes only a few times a month. Across the measured record it averaged under four trades a month, and the recent years are thinner than the early ones — a real change in the pair's behaviour, not a setting you can turn up.
What is in the verification window?: The published backtest runs to 2026-04-01, which is also the cutoff. Everything past that date was measured in a separate run and is kept apart from the backtest figures — 9 closed trades so far, which this page reports on their own rather than folding them into the backtest's numbers. A window that thin is a sample, not a verdict; the EA averages under four trades a month.
Does it trade at particular hours?: No. There is no time, session or day filter. Any closed H1 bar whose RSI is past the threshold can open a trade, provided no position is already open.

Same symbol, different approach

PF: 1.52
Max equity DD: -10.7%

Same approach, different symbol

PF: 1.20
Max equity DD: -8.0%

Shallower drawdown

PF: 1.38
Max equity DD: -0.7%

Ballast

The complete record — the published backtest and everything since.

Full Record

Since Strategy Lock

Trade History

Monthly Returns

Year by Year

Drawdown

Recent Trades

Verification

How Ballast Trades

EUR/GBP, One Hour, No Time Filter

RSI(12) At An Extreme

One Position, Either Direction

A 114-Pip Stop Behind Every Order

Trailed Out, Not Taken Out

Risk architecture

Market behavior

Performs best in

Can struggle in

Parameters & Controls

All published inputs

Requirements & Compatibility

Test environment

Important notes

Start in three steps

Step 01 — Download the files

Step 02 — Attach it to the correct chart

Step 03 — Load the published settings

Before you run

Included files

How this record was measured

Frequently asked questions

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