Huge drawdowns might force you to stop trading, it even might lead to ruin, and it makes your returns lower. Why Is Max Drawdown Important In Trading?ĭrawdown is very important for a trader because they play a huge impact in your compounding abilities. Most traders and investors would be absolutely gutted with such a poor performance. You need a strong character to not lose hope after such a disastrous performance. This means 100 000 invested at the peak, was only worth 17 000 two years later. The max drawdown during this period was a hefty 83% in late 2002. The drawdown didn’t end until 2015! 15 years is a pretty long time to wait for a drawdown to recover.
The drawdown of 27% in March 2020 is almost a drop in the bucket compared to what happened after the dot-com bubble burst in 2000: However, it quickly set a new high again in June.ĭrawdowns can be lengthy. The drawdown above shows, for example, that the QQQ set a new high in late February 2020 before it fell to a drawdown of 27% in March. The first pane is the price of QQQ, while the red color in the pane below shows the percentage drawdown from the latest peak in QQQ. Graphical examples of drawdownsīelow is a graphical example of a drawdown in the ETF QQQ: The drawdown ends when your equity sets a new peak above 95 000 and the process starts over again. The 10 000 is your drawdown.ĭrawdowns are better valued in percentages. Your equity drops 10 000 in nominal value. Let’s assume your equity today is at a record 95 000, but over the next two months, it drops to 85 000.
Stock drawdown how to#
We discuss why in this article.ĭrawdowns are best explained with an example: How to calculate a drawdown in trading Most of the time the drawdown is minuscule and nothing to worry about, but when it reaches double percentage digits, the drawdown can play a significant role in your future returns. If your equity is not at an all-time high, you are in a drawdown. It’s a peak to trough decline over a certain period. Conclusion: Why is max drawdown important in trading?Ī drawdown in trading is the percentage you are down from the latest equity peak.Low drawdowns can take advantage of leverage.A low drawdown equals compounding from a higher level.Drawdowns result in lower CAGR and compounding.
How much drawdown can you handle before you give up?.Low drawdowns limit behavioral mistakes.Why Is Max Drawdown Important In Trading?.