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Finaxion Research · Heikin Ashi: follow the coloured candles · single stocks · Recomputed 2026-09-10

Does Heikin Ashi: follow the coloured candles work on PYPL?

Heikin Ashi: follow the coloured candles does not beat buy-and-hold on PYPL: -18.1 points a year over 11 years.

Total return
-83.1%
Buy and hold
44.7%
CAGR
-14.7%
Sharpe
-0.59
Max drawdown
-89.2%
Trades
784
Out of sample
—
Years
11
1×8×20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026
StrategyPYPL

Findings

  1. Heikin Ashi: follow the coloured candles does not beat buy-and-hold on PYPL: -18.1 points a year over 11 years.
  2. Against the S&P 500 over the same window: -29.1 points a year.
  3. Total return -83.1% versus +44.7% for buy-and-hold, with 784 trades.
  4. Maximum drawdown -89.2%.
  5. It beats in neither half of the history (split at 2021).
  6. It ranks #235 of 235 markets for this strategy by annual excess over the S&P 500.

Findings derived from the full panel. Each carries its number and its denominator; the computations are reproducible with artifact 2aad8ceec7e6.

Exactly what was tested

Long while the Heikin Ashi candle is bullish (HA close above HA open); exit on the first bearish candle.

How to read it

The verdict compares the strategy with buying and holding PYPL over the same window, with round-trip costs per asset class. “Out of sample” is walk-forward: the rule is fit on one stretch and judged on the next. A result that beats in the full sample but not out of it is overfit. Full methodology in the protocol. How we test.

Open this backtest with its trades   Trades (CSV)

Every strategy on PYPL → · Full page for Heikin Ashi: follow the coloured candles →

How to cite

Finaxion Research (2026). Does Heikin Ashi: follow the coloured candles work on PYPL?. Daily backtest 1962-01-01–2026-08-31, artifact 2aad8ceec7e6. https://finaxion.app/en/research/heikin-ashi/pypl

Not a recommendation. Past performance does not guarantee future results.